Picking Up the Pieces
by Crippled Wings
Summary: One phone call can change the course of a life. Shattered and broken, it may take more than just friendship to fix what was broken.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Love Hina_. Ken Akamatsu and his affiliates do. This is a piece made purely for the love and enjoyment of the series.

Note: This story takes place after Keitaro is accepted to Tokyo University but before Kanako arrives in both anime and manga.

* * *

The storm clouds had settled in over the Kanagawa prefecture with ease. It had started to rain early that morning and had yet to let up in any way. A lone figure stood out in this dreary weather, looking down at a puddle of water at his feet. Soaked to the bone and starting to develop a cold, he stared down at the broken mirror of his appearance. A sad smile on his face as he watched his tears mingle with the rainwater, _"It's almost funny the things I go through."_

Keitaro stood there, musing sadly at the turn his life had taken in only a few short years. Only a year or so ago, he was well on his way to becoming a life long Ronin and never achieving his promise to his destined girl. Now he knew for certain whom she was and was enrolled in Tokyo University. To add a boost to any normal male his age, he also managed an all girls dormitory. However, he above all things was not normal. Putting aside his ungodly ability to sustain lethal damage with little more than a scratch, he would rather not have the responsibilities he had now.

He loved the girls at Hinata, some like sisters and friends, and one in particular with all his heart. He broke his back and worked his fingers to the bone just for them in everything he did just to see them happy. And to an extent they were. To most of them, it seemed everything he did though was just a fraction not enough. Try as he might, he just could not get through to some of them. And for all his hard work and long hours of studying, he always fell short.

He was tired. He was just so tired of everything around him being in some way against him from the start, no matter what he did to try to stay ahead of the game. Things were not helped by the news he had received just that day. His entire world had come in some measure crashing down around him as he had gotten that one cursed phone call. If anything could be done to change getting that call, he would have done so in a heartbeat. Yet he knew better. Wishing for something like that would not make anything change or better off. He knew, no felt, that he would be miserable and at this standstill at some point. It probably would not have been right now, but eventually the moment would have come.

He was at the point of wondering if it all really mattered in the end. He had put his heart and soul into everything he did for them, and his most common form of repayment was a one way flight over the prefecture. No preamble or just cause. Just a base assumption that he was by his very nature perverse. Even this was something that he could handle for a time, but now standing in the rain courtesy of another of Naru's famous punch's, he honestly did not know where he stood or belonged in the world. He felt the urge to return as soon as he could to the inn, but he also felt the same strength of urge pushing him to turn the other direction and never return. So he stood, hesitant to return but unwilling to leave completely, in the rain and catching a cold. And there he had stood for nearly the entire afternoon, not caring how much time had passed by or even wondering what time it was.

"Keitaro?"

The question was just barely audible over the din of the rain for him to hear. He lazily turned his head to look at where the voice had sounded from to find he was staring at a pair of his residents. Shinobu and Mitsune stood there, their arms laden with groceries and goods that the inn needed to keep running day to day. Though Mitsune, or rather Kitsune, wore a slightly worried look on her face, Keitaro noticed that for a split second her eyes were opened to look at him. Shinobu looked at him with worry evident in her eyes and face, "Sempai? Are you alright?"

Keitaro bowed his head again to look at the puddle at his feet, not even bothering to hide the apathetic look on his face, "It doesn't matter if I'm fine, Shinobu. I guess it never did."

Shinobu's worry grew deeper as she and Kitsune approached their manager, "Sempai?"

The lack of emotion in his voice spoke volumes to Kitsune, "Yeah, Keitaro. Are you sure you're alright?"

Shinobu reached out to grab his hand, shocked to find his hand was as cold as ice. She squealed in shock, "Sempai?! You're hands are as cold as ice? How long have you been out here?"

Even Kitsune was hard pressed to see the subtle shrug in his shoulders, "Not sure anymore."

Kitsune took a good long look at their manager and was not happy by what she was seeing. His clothes were soaked through and his hands were cold, and if she missed her guess, he had been crying for almost an hour or so by the redness of his eyes. Immediately, she grabbed him by the arm and began to lead him, "Come on. Let's get you somewhere warm and get some food in you."

Almost as soon as she had grabbed hold of him, she had to drop the sacks of groceries to catch him as he collapsed. Shinobu cried out as she watched him sag into Kitsune's arms, just barely able to hold up the young man. Looking around quickly, Kitsune pointed over to an awning not too far away and began to slowly drag the young man over to it. She looked at the manager and cringed at his appearance, "Shinobu, go inside and call Haruka and let her know that we need help. Tell her it's urgent."

She got a quick response as the younger girl disappeared into the building they were in front of. Her eyes never left Keitaro as she tried to soothe him as best she could, "Come on, Keitaro. Say something."

She sat there with him leaned up against her, trying to make sense of what had caused him to wind up like this. Soon, Shinobu arrived and told her that Haruka would be there shortly, but even that did little to belay the concern in Kitsune. In her mind, she kept replaying the image of Keitaro's blank stare and tear stricken eyes.

* * *

The first thing he consciously became aware of was the smell of smoke and the sounds of breathing from nearby. Opening his eyes slowly, he found himself in a room other than his own at the Inn. Gently and without a sound he sat up, letting some of the covers fall off of him. He slowly took in the room around him. What surprised him was to see Kitsune sitting there not to far from him, propped up against the wall. He looked at her quizzically for an unknown amount of time.

"You feelin' better now?"

Keitaro looked over to see Haruka standing in the door. Her usual cigarette nowhere to be seen and a small worried look was etched on her face as she looked at him. Keitaro slowly looked away towards the ground. He was hesitant to talk to anyone right now, let alone with someone who was also a tenant in the room. He nodded his head slowly, "I think so."

Haruka watched her nephew, looking for anything that was not normally there. She noticed the sag in his shoulders and the look of emptiness in his eyes. _A look of defeat,_ she thought sadly. She knew he would talk when he was ready to and not before. She nodded slowly and looked at him again, "Alright, well you know where to find me if you want to talk. I'll make you some tea."

Turning away from him, she pulled a cigarette out to light, "By the way, Mitsune wouldn't leave your side last night."

Cautiously, Keitaro looked up at his Aunt's back, "She didn't?"

She shook her head as she inhaled deeply, "Nope. Said something about being worried about that 'empty' look you gave her before you collapsed."

He turned his gaze over to the young woman next to him, taking in more than just the form he knew. She had a troubled look on her face, compounded by the slight redness around her eyes. It honestly looked like she had cried herself to sleep. Keitaro sat there silently watching her sleep, not knowing what to think.

His aunt broke into the silence gently, "I'll be back with that tea."

If he acknowledged her, she didn't hear. Keitaro listened as her footsteps disappeared into another part of the house as he looked at the sleeping fox. He sat there and watched her sleep, all the while feeling sadness and regret over having made one of his tenants cry because of something he did. He tore his eyes away from her as he looked back down at the floor. He closed his eyes, _"I've hurt one of them again. Why do I always hurt those around me?"_

A soft sigh to his left brought his eyes up in time to see the most beautiful pair of brown eyes he had ever seen looking at him. Just as quickly as he'd made eye contact, he broke away from it. Stretching, Kitsune looked over at him, "Morning, Keitaro. How ya feeling?"

When he did not immediately respond, Kitsune crawled closer towards him, "Hey, you okay? Come on and talk to me. I don't bite." She then got the mischievous gleam in her eyes that he was used to seeing, "Unless you want me too?"

Keitaro sighed heavily, "Kitsune. Please. Don't. Not today."

She settled back on her heels, a little shocked that his voice was just as emotionless as it had been the night before. This was unknown territory for her. Sure, in the past she had helped cheer him up, but never had she ever seen him this bad. And frankly, it was starting to scare her. She gently placed a hand on his arm, "Hon, are you okay? I've never heard you sound like this before. What's eating you?"

He looked up briefly to look around the room again, "Is Shinobu here?"

Kitsune shook her head, "No she went back up to the Inn last night. Figured she didn't need to stay to help you out. That me and Haruka would be enough for ya."

He nodded slowly, almost dejectedly. When he looked at her, she recoiled slightly at the emptiness staring back at her from his eyes. At the corner of his eyes she saw what looked like the start of tears forming, "Does it matter? Does everything I've been through matter anymore?"

Kitsune was shocked. Normally he was a very upbeat and happy person. If she was not sure something was wrong, she was certain now. Something had happened in between breakfast yesterday morning and finding him in the streets like she did. Speechless, she sat there and looked at him, "Keitaro, did something happen to you yesterday?"

His eyes became pools of pain and sadness as she watched him. She saw the internal war raging in his eyes, and knew that something had most certainly occurred. He shuddered, the memory like a knife in his heart, "Naru…she…"

Understanding that much was not hard for her. Naru had done something to upset him horribly, but Kitsune did not get the chance to make more sense out of him as she was suddenly knocked down and held by the now sobbing man that was her manager, _"This is definitely territory I've never been in with him."_

She slowly and calmly eased her arms around him and began to try her best to comfort him. She listened as he rambled, "I never wanted things to go like this. Everything was supposed to be happy after I got into Tokyo U. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Kitsune looked down at his mop of brown hair, "What wasn't supposed to happen?"

He sobbed in her arms, "The University called me yesterday. They said…and then Naru…"

She held him as he collapsed into another uncontrolled surge of tears. Although she was trying her best to understand him, she was slowly beginning to see the picture somewhat. She gingerly tipped his head to look at her, "What did they say Keitaro?"

The pain in his eyes was almost unbearable to see, but she had to endure. Keitaro wiped away some of his tears, "They said that since I had been unable to attend classes for the first term, that they were withdrawing my place at the University. Regardless of if there was extenuating circumstances."

Kitsune was by far as shocked about that as he was. At the moment she didn't care if they could legally do that or not, but it didn't matter. Right now, calming Keitaro was what was needed. She shushed him quietly and asked him to continue. He nodded shakily, "Then Naru found out. I don't know how, but she knew right after the call. She told me that she knew there was no way I could get into Tokyo U, even with her help the odds were astronomical."

He buried his face into her shoulder again, "She said that an idiot and pervert like me would never get in no matter how hard I tried. Then I don't know what caused me to say it, but I told her to shut up. Then she…"

Kitsune finished his statement, "She told you to take it back and you wouldn't."

He sobbed heavily as he nodded against her shoulder, "Then she said that now there was no more reason to believe in my promise girl and to stop following her around like a lost puppy. Then I told her that the reason I did was because…"

Somewhere in her hardened heart, Kitsune felt a heart string break for him. The rest of the situation was as clear to her as a fog light in the dead of a moonless night. He gave her his heart and she tore it into small pieces. Then when he tried to get her to listen to him, he had probably grabbed her shoulder which in the end wound him up outside in the rain right where she and Shinobu found him a few hours later. She hugged him tightly, hoping to ease some of his pain by taking it away, "Shh. Its okay, Hon. Just cry it out."

So she sat there, not caring if she was drunk or sober at the moment, comforting her manager. At some point she was vaguely aware of Haruka in the door, but she did not say anything other than a silent thank you to her as she set down the two glasses of tea by the door. Eventually, his outburst and crying finally died down until he was fast asleep in her arms. With great care, she moved him back to the futon and covered him back up again, silently thanking Haruka for the foresight to have a set of sleeping clothes for him here just in case.

She silently crept from the room, grabbing a cup of tea on her way out and began to head to the kitchen of the teashop. When she walked in she saw Haruka standing staring blankly at a wall as she waited for a kettle of water to boil. Kitsune cleared her throat to alert Haruka to her presence. Haruka turned around to look at her, a pained expression on her face. Kitsune sighed deeply, "I suppose ya heard all that?"

A slight nod of her head gave Kitsune her answer. Propping herself up against a counter, she sipped absentmindedly at her tea, "I thought for sure once he got in his life would take an upswing. Guess my betting is still as stellar as ever, huh?"

Haruka turned towards her fully, "I guess so."

The light brown haired woman stared silently into her mug for a few moments, "I never thought this would happen to him, Haruka. That boy has to have something coming back 'round to him. When karma finally pays him back, I hope I'm alive to see it."

The older woman nodded, checking the teapot on the stove, "I'm just curious how Naru is going to handle the inevitable bombshell she's set to go off."

Kitsune shook her head, "Honestly? I don't think she even thought about what would happen if Keitaro went off. I'm not even sure if she believes he's capable of it."

Haruka shuddered lightly, "I hope and pray he never does go off. Kami help everyone who gets in his way then."

The younger woman sat there silently staring into her cup. After a few moments of the awkward silence, she rose to her feet, "I suppose I should go talk to Naru."

"No."

The coldness of Haruka's statement froze the blood in Kitsune's body. As she looked over at the older woman, she cringed in sympathy for Naru. Haruka's body was shaking with barely contained anger at what had occurred to her nephew. When she finally spoke, Kitsune felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees, "I'll talk to her."

Cautiously, Kitsune backed up out of the room, "Just don't hurt her too bad."

As she walked back down the hall to where Keitaro was, she almost didn't catch Haruka say, "I'll try not to."

With that small conversation over, Kitsune returned to where she had left Keitaro to slumber in peace. She heard the light rustling and small moans of help as she came closer, and she had to fight back the urge to cry. This was just too much for her to deal with. As she entered the room, she silently crept over to where he lay asleep. Kitsune gently cradled his head in her lap as she soothed him, "Hush now, Keitaro. You got a friend here for ya. Rest."

He visibly calmed and stopped thrashing. Kitsune again fought the urge to cry for the umpteenth time since the night before. This young man she now held in her hands had given them so much and treated them with such kindness. And in return she had watched the majority of the Hinata household punish him for things he didn't do or verbally abuse him. She felt a twinge of anger at her housemates.

"_Who are you kidding, Mitsune? You're no more innocent than they are when it comes to dealing with him. Just how much have you swindled from him over the entire time he's been here?"_

She felt a wave of disgust at herself. Too much is how much she'd taken from him. So much that she had very nearly put him into bankruptcy on a few occasions. If it hadn't have been for her scheming and conniving ways, he would have been much better off financially than he was right now. No, she was just as bad as Naru and Motoko, but on an emotional level that they weren't. There were times that she wondered if he even trusted her for anything.

"_Why should he trust you? You've nearly swindled him out of every yen to his name!"_

The tears were back at the corners of her eyes again, but this time she did not hold them back. She had hurt him in the past, terribly so in some cases. She had strung him along just as bad as Naru had by using her body to affect him. She was ashamed of herself.

So now she sat, holding Keitaro's head in her lap crying. She was utterly ashamed of her behavior towards this saint of a man that had given them everything and asked for nothing. Deep inside of her she knew that there really was no way to be forgiven for her own crimes against him.

"_Well then you know what you have to do, don't you?"_

She cried a little harder at the voice in her head. Of course she knew. She had to find a way to repay him for his kindness that he's shown them. How she wasn't sure, but she would find a way.

* * *

It was nearly lunch time, and the residents of Hinata Inn were getting anxious to see their manager return. Shinobu would every once in a while look at the clock, no matter what she was doing. She knew where he was, but was told by Haruka to not tell anyone until Keitaro was better. She had never seen her sempai like that before. The look that he had in his eyes made her shudder at the memory. She was sure that that one glance he gave her would haunt her till her dying day. Other than Su and possibly even Sarah commenting on the noticeable absence of Keitaro, Shinobu had not heard anything out of either Motoko or Naru, though the former she had noticed her look towards the door in expectation.

"_He's better off where he is right now. At least he's safe with Kitsune and Haruka watching him."_ She thought to herself. The only way she'd found to distract herself and prevent her from leaving to check on him herself was the fact that she had busied herself with cooking anything and everything she could think of. From the morning meal to cookies and pastries in between then and lunch, she had remained occupied. It didn't help her worry though.

As everyone was just beginning to sit down to lunch, Naru scoffed, "Figures the baka wouldn't show up for lunch either. Wonder where he is? Probably doing something perverted probably."

Shinobu had to bite her tongue hard to keep from lashing out, surprising even herself. Not once had she ever raised her voice to defend Keitaro, but for some reason she felt the urge to stand up on the table and scold Naru like a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar. Almost.

Motoko nodded her head in agreement, "Yes, where is our Kanrinin? I do not believe he returned last night or this morning. Did you see him Su?"

The foreign girl shook her head enthusiastically, "Nope. Not since yesterday."

"Interesting," Motoko mused, also noticing the lack of Kitsune, "I also wonder where our resident fox is hiding today?"

Naru shrugged, "Don't know. Probably passed out from all that drinking she does."

At this moment, the all heard the tell tale sound of the front door opening and closing. They were about to go and see who had just come in, when Haruka showed up in the doorway to the dining room. Her calm demeanor was almost non existent as she looked at those gathered around the table, her eyes finally settling on Naru. She placed her hands on her hips, "Naru, I need to speak to you. Now."

The young woman stood slightly, "We were just about to sit down and eat, Haruka. Can this wait until…"

"Maybe you didn't hear me, Naru," Haruka continued, overriding Naru's objection, "I believe that wasn't an 'at your leisure'. Now. Outside."

Not sure what was going on, the brunette obliged. When the others stood to follow, Haruka shot them all a cold glare, "Just her. The rest of you can eat."

Unsure of herself, Naru stepped outside onto the front porch and waited. She did not have to wait long as Haruka exited, slamming the front door behind her. Looking at Naru, she fixed her cruelest glare on her making the younger girl visibly tremble, "Haruka, what's going on?"

She almost didn't see the slap as Haruka struck her across the face, "How dare you do that to my nephew."

Almost immediately, Naru spun to look at Haruka. Nursing her sore cheek, she looked at Haruka questioningly, "Haruka?"

"Don't 'Haruka' me," she spat coldly at Naru, "You know good and well what you did to Keitaro yesterday. Even for you that was cold and heartless."

Naru felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered yesterday, "But, all of it was the truth. I…"

Her face jerked around as another slap found home on the other side of her face. By now Haruka was getting furious, "Truth be damned, Naru! You and I both know how hard he's worked to get to this point! Everything in his life has been to get to that one moment in life where he had achieved his dreams of getting into Tokyo U and finding his promise girl! His whole life he's chased this dream at the expense of everything else! He even put his heart on the line when he thought you were his promise girl!"

The tears were now streaming down Naru's face, "But…"

"Shut up! Just…" Haruka started to get to the point of throttling the girl, but held herself back. She took a few breaths to calm herself, "Naru, you broke my nephew's heart. He wanted nothing more than have a little happiness for himself and you broke that. Tell me truthfully, did you ever truly care for him? Ever?"

The ashamed look on her face spoke volumes. She stammered incoherently, "Y-yes…I…I did at the start."

"Let me guess," Haruka continued, now a little more relaxed but still just as angry as before she walked up here, "You got to the point where you liked that no matter what you did to him, and he would always come back begging for forgiveness?"

For a moment, the leaves rustling was the only sound heard around them. Naru sobbed quietly, only barely nodding her head in answer. Haruka shook her head in disgust, "Guess what Naru? You would be hard pressed to get him to come back now. As it is, he is staying down in the teahouse right now. And to top it all off, because of your aggression issues, he was found standing in the rain and is now the sickest I've seen him since we were kids. I hope you're satisfied with yourself, Naru."

And with that said, Haruka turned and headed back down the staircase to her teashop, leaving Naru to stand there wallowing in her shame and pain.

* * *

Kitsune sat there, looking down at the young manager in the dark. She was utterly at a loss for how to go about helping him in anyway. A little while ago she had heard Haruka leave to go up to the Inn, and shuddered at what would happen to Naru when Haruka got her fangs into that girl. But that was the farthest thing from her mind.

She looked at the relaxed look on Keitaro's face as he slept, unsure of just where to go from here. While on the one hand, she knew for a fact that one good way to start atoning for the wrongs she's caused him was to do anything she could to help him. It would at least be a start.

"Kitsune?"

Startled from her musings, she noticed his dark eyes staring up at her quizzically. She flashed a small smile, doing her best to hide her own pain, "Morning, Sunshine. Sleep well?"

He shrugged lethargically, "I suppose."

"By the way, I meant to ask you before you nodded off," she started picking her words carefully so as not to upset him again. Biting her lip, she continued, "What exactly are you going to do now or think you're going to do?"

He sat up slightly with a little help from Kitsune, "I-I…I don't know. I haven't really thought about it yet."

The smile faded slightly from her face, "Is there anything I could help you with?"

A wary look in his eyes appeared after she spoke, not to her surprise. It hurt to see that look, especially after she realized just how much she had hurt him in the past. He looked at her with apprehension, "Why?"

She lowered her eyes from his, "Just wanted to know if there was anything I could help with."

Kitsune heard him sigh as he sat completely upright, "How much are you wanting, Kitsune?"

A sob coursed through her uncontrolled, nearly scaring Keitaro. She looked up at him with the evidence of her own pain showing on her face, "I know I've hurt you so much in the past, Keitaro. I never realized how much it hurt you. I'm sorry. I-I never meant to…"

She trailed off as her own shame overcame her. Keitaro sat there stunned as he watched possibly one of the strongest women he knew broke down into tears. Unknowing of what else to do, he gently reached out to her hesitantly, "Kitsune?"

"Don't call me that," She sobbed. Hiding her face from him, she pulled her arms around her, "Don't call me that name. It's been nothing but pain for you. I don't want that name anymore."

Taken aback by this, Keitaro sat there staring at her. When he did speak again, it was very gentle, "Mitsune?"

She barely heard him call her name, but heard it none the less. Mitsune slowly looked up to look at him, only to find him looking at her with that reassuring gaze that he had given her every time she had done something to him, "It's okay, Mitsune. I forgive you."

Past the point of words, she flung herself into his arms. Keitaro managed to remain in a sitting position, but never the less was shocked by her attitude towards him. With all his experience with women, this was new to him. Not once, not even when Naru was at her worst, did a girl throw themselves at him to comfort. The sensation was new and foreign to him. However, he did the only thing he could do and that was soothing her and calming her. For a few moments, she stayed there in his arms sobbing uncontrollably. The moment seemed to stretch forever, but eventually he had calmed her down. As she pulled back out of the embrace, she gave him a small smile, "Thanks, Keitaro. You've been one helluva a friend, even when I've treated you like my own personal bank."

A small smile made its self known on his face as he looked at her, "Don't worry about it too much. Either way you look at it, I would still have given you all that money even if you'd just asked."

Towards the front of the house, they both heard the tell tale signs of Haruka slamming the door shut behind her. Keitaro looked at Mitsune and noticed her visibly cringe when the door slammed. It wasn't long before they were met by Haruka standing in the doorway lighting another cigarette. She looked at her nephew as calmly as she could, "You're up. How are you doing?"

He rubbed the back of his head, "Well, I don't feel too bad. I still feel a little off, but other than that, I think I'm fine."

Mitsune nodded in agreement, "Yeah, seems his fevers gone down, so he should be good to go."

They heard Haruka grunt as she took a long heavy drag off her cigarette. Mitsune was almost too afraid to ask what happened with Naru, but she decided to press her luck, "Haruka? How did your talk with Naru go?"

She saw her jaw tense slightly and her fist tightened a little, but did not drop her calm demeanor, "The way I expected it to go."

The younger woman shivered a little at that statement, but left the rest alone. For a few moments, the three remained there in silence listening to the sounds around them. It was when Haruka spoke up that the silence ended, "So, where do you go from here, Keitaro?"

He focused on the floor in front of him, "Honestly Haruka, I haven't the faintest clue what to do."

"Well," Haruka started, pausing to take a drag off her cigarette, "You could always go full time to help Seta on his digs."

For a time, Keitaro had thought about that prospect. All the wonderful and exciting places he would go and new sites he would discover was an amazing prospect. To boldly go forth and be a historian of sorts, unlocking the mysteries of old through digging and finding. He had entertained the idea, but now in hindsight, he wasn't so sure. He sighed gently, "I don't know Haruka. It sounded nice and Seta was a wonderful teacher and all, but I don't know if I could take the many hours away doing hard physical labor well."

Mitsune smiled lightly at the mental picture of Keitaro wielding a pick and shovel out in the sun of the desert. She looked at him, "You might be right, Keitaro. But you'd definitely get buff fast."

Haruka half smiled at Mitsune's comment. Then she focused on the things she knew her nephew could do. He didn't have the head for numbers. The entrance exams had proven that fact as plain as day. He was no good when it came to cars. About the only things she could come up with having the skill and expertise to pull off were managing the inn and his hidden talent for art. She looked over at him wondering if that would be what would salvage his life. She puffed out a held cloud of smoke, "You could try your hand at drawing. Ever consider that?"

Keitaro's already somewhat pale face grew whiter when he heard her say that. His eyes looked up at Haruka pleadingly, "H-Haruka! You know I'm no good at that! Why would you suggest that?"

"Wait," Mitsune interrupted into the conversation, "You can draw, Keitaro?"

His pale face gained a bit of color back to his cheeks when she spoke, "Well, a little. Though I'm not very good at it."

Haruka chuckled, "Not very good at it? That's not what that sketch book of yours says. I've seen some of those drawings, Keitaro. You'd put any professional artist to shame with some of 'em."

Keitaro tried to hide his face more, but was not really succeeding, "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"Just telling the truth," Haruka said, dropping the butt into a nearby ashtray. She looked over at him, still sure that he was more than just physically sick. She crossed her arms gently, "Though, I'm curious. What are you going to do about the Inn?"

His short burst of embarrassment gave way to a thick cloud of depression. Mitsune was certain now that he was unsure he wanted to return back up those stairs anytime soon. He took a few moments to think before he spoke, "I…I don't know if I can go back there. At least not right now. I just…"

Haruka nodded slowly, "It's alright, Keitaro. You can stay here as long as you want."

Mitsune watched as his shoulders relaxed at that statement. She looked between him and Haruka, trying to find out where she could fit into this. She noticed Haruka motion with her head towards the kitchen, "Keitaro, if you need anything, just let me know. Alright?"

The only answer she got was the subtle shaking of his head. Following Haruka out of the room and into the kitchen, Mitsune leaned against the counter top. She watched absently as Haruka proceeded to make a call. After a moment or two the person on the other end picked up, "Shinobu, its Haruka…Sorry to worry everyone. Just needed to handle her alone…Yeah, she's still down here. She's been watching over Keitaro all morning since she woke up…That would be nice, but I need you to do me a favor…Could you go to Keitaro's and Mitsune's rooms and bring some of their clothes. I'd do it myself, but…And one more thing. Could you bring Keitaro's sketch pad?"

Mitsune looked up at Haruka, now interested to know about this sketchbook she'd heard about earlier. The older woman smiled a little, "Yes, I know you have one of them, but I need the one he keeps in his desk drawer. Think you can do that for me...Thanks Shinobu."

As she hung up the phone, Haruka grabbed a nearby pad and pen and began scribbling something on it. After a moment or two, she looked over at Mitsune, "Mitsune, could you possibly go to this address and pick up a package that's supposed to be there with my name?"

The fox looked over at Haruka in bewilderment, "Haruka, what's going on?"

Haruka handed her the piece of paper and looked at her, "An old friend of mine owes me a favor and it requires that package you're going to go pick up."

"Haruka," Mitsune started, following behind Keitaro's aunt as she began to head back out of the room towards the front of the shop, "What are you planning?"

She stopped and looked back at Mitsune, her normal stoic attitude back in place, "Planning for Keitaro to spend a little time away. From the looks of things, he's spent far too much time here, and if I recall one of his previous trips helped him sort out his life. Maybe another vacation will do him some good."

The younger of the two looked at her in confusion, "Vacation? Time away? Are you planning on sending him on a trip?"

Haruka nodded lightly, sweeping around the front of the teashop preparing for the normal day, "Trust me, Mitsune. That boy in there is broken. He needs to repair himself before he'll be any good at repairing his life."

"I'm going with him, then."

The older brunette stopped and looked over at the young woman, unsure of what she had heard. The stubborn set of her jaw and squared shoulders said enough, "You sure?"

Mitsune looked back in the direction of where Keitaro was resting, remembering her promise to herself to make amends. She nodded, "I haven't a doubt in my mind. I've done my fair share of making his life miserable. I ought to at least help put the pieces back together."

The two stood there in silence as Haruka considered her words. For some reason, for one of the few times in her life, that Mitsune was sincere in her words. After considering the alternatives, she sighed, "Only if he lets you."

Mitsune nodded as she looked back at Haruka, "I just hope that I can undo the damage I've done."

The older woman gently pulled out another cigarette, "Let's hope you can heal more than that. Other wise, I don't think there's going to be much more we can do."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own _Love Hina_. Ken Akamatsu and his affiliates do. This is a piece made purely for the love and enjoyment of the series.

* * *

Shinobu shuffled around her managers' room, searching for the basic necessities that he would need for a protracted stay at the teahouse. She wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but she knew that she had to help her manger in what little ways she could.

She thought back to last night, a small shiver running down her spine as she did so. Never in her life had she ever seen anyone so emotionless, so utterly empty before in her life. It was almost as if all the will to go on had suddenly drained out of him. She suppressed the tears forming at the corners of her eyes, "Sempai, I hope you get better soon."

She had already visited Mitsunes' room and gathered her things. Now the only thing she had left to get was the specific item that Haruka had told her to get. She knew exactly where it was, even before Haruka had told her where it was. It was one of the few closely guarded secrets she kept for Keitaro. A few months ago, she had accidentally walked in on him drawing, and when he noticed her had scrambled to throw it into that particular drawer.

Crossing the remaining distance between herself and the drawer, Shinobu drew in a deep breath for courage. She hesitated but for a moment before pulling the drawer open to reveal the worn leather cover of an old sketchpad. It was a special thing to see, knowing that it belonged to Keitaro and to know she had been trusted with bringing it safely to him. Gently and with all the care she could find in her heart, she picked it up and clutched it to her chest. She sank to her knees, the gravity of what was going on suddenly becoming too much for her. It almost felt as if the sketchpad it self was drawing her to the ground. Her tears formed in her eyes again as she sat there, worry and sadness over her sempai's pain. Not knowing what else to do, she clutched the pad tighter and wept softly in the darkness of his room.

"Shinobu, what are you doing in Urashima's room?"

The young girl spun to look at the voice in the door, not even hiding her tears anymore. Blinking away some tears, she saw the figure of Motoko standing there, a hand on her katana. Shinobu felt a fire of anger beginning to be stoked under the sadness she felt. This was not her fault she knew, but Motoko's and Naru's. If they had not pushed and punished and beaten Keitaro so much, then he would never have had his soul shattered the way he did. Between the tears, Shinobu fixed a harsh glare at Motoko, "Why do you want to know?"

The young samurai, a little shocked at the harshness in the normally shy girls' voice, looked at her with a little hurt in her eyes, "I'm just curious why you would be in the room of a pervert."

Shinobu surged to her feet, "Why do you call him names like that Motoko? Why?"

The raven haired swordswoman took an instinctive step backwards. She had never see anything like this out of Shinobu before, and it was beginning to strike an uneasy chord in her, "My honor prevents me from lying, Shinobu. It is a disgrace to even…"

"To hell with your honor," the yell had surprised even Shinobu, not knowing where both the courage to say these things and the anger to say such things came from. She bore a deathly glare into Motoko, "Quite hiding behind lies and excuses. Your honor is only of use to you when you feel like hiding your own short comings!"

A little worried, Motoko reflexively gripped the hilt of her sword, "What is wrong with you, Shinobu? This is not like you to behave in this manner."

All thoughts of what could possibly happen to her set aside, Shinobu took a few steps towards Motoko, "Only that I'm finally standing up for Keitaro! I'm only sad that it took something like this to happen before I did!"

Motoko looked at the little girl with a mix of bewilderment and fright in her eyes, "What? What has happened to Urashima?"

The young girl was almost face to face as best she could manage with the raven haired woman, "What do you care? Weren't you the one who was the strongest opposition to his staying here? Didn't want a 'perverted male' ruining your sanctuary?"

The wood of the wall behind her told Motoko that she was out of room to run away from the azure haired girls' tirade, "Y-yes, I was. But he eventually proved that he was useful around the Hinata Inn, and I…"

"You what?" Shinobu said coldly, the tears streaming down out of her eyes. She had long ago lost her will to hold back the dam of anger she had let loose on the swordswoman. She glared holes through Motoko, "Thought that he would make a nice slave and a great practice dummy for your techniques and Naru's punches? Is that what you thought?"

Motoko cringed at her words, knowing that at some point in the past she had likened Keitaro to those words. She averted here eyes from the shaking girl, unable to respond. She knew she had stained her honor, and for more than a year had maintained that she was only protecting the other residents from his twisted attempts. Shinobu, trembling in rage, turned back around and hauled up the bags she had gathered and stormed past her. She stopped briefly at the stairs, "You're sister would be ashamed, Motoko. I know I am."

With those words left lingering in the air, Shinobu walked down the stairs and out the front door without another word. As she neared the steps up to the Inn, she tried to steady her breathing, knowing that she had worked her self into a near frenzy with her outburst. As she neared the teashop, she felt more tears rolling down her cheeks at the pain she just caused.

"_I know I hurt her, but it's a small price to pay for the amount of pain she has caused Keitaro."_

She shuddered a little at that thought. Her words were the truth, but now she felt guilt at having said them to Motoko regardless. She just could not stay mad at anyone, but for some reason, the situation with her sempai had struck a chord in her and now she was determined to see that no one else caused him harm.

As she entered the dimly lit room of the teashop, she saw Haruka leaning up against a counter looking at an old photograph. She gently set the items down on a nearby bench, "Haruka? I brought what you wanted me to."

Shaken from her musings over the photo, Haruka looked up to see a flushed and red eye Shinobu with the bags of clothes and such she had asked for. Haruka crossed the distance calmly and placed a hand on the young girls' shoulder, "Thanks, kid."

Emotionally drained and exhausted, Shinobu very nearly collapsed into a nearby seat as Haruka eased her down. Shinobu gave a sad look up to her, "Sorry, Haruka. I guess my run in with Motoko was a bit too much for me to handle."

Knowing that now was not the time to be worried about that, Haruka offered a small smile to the girl, "S'kay, Shinobu. Just have a seat and rest for now. I'm still waiting on Mitsune to get back from her errand."

"Okay," Shinobu responded, resting her head on the table in front of her. As Haruka stood and walked back to the counter, Shinobu looked at the wood grain and sighed, "Haruka?"

Stopping, she looked back at the young girl, "Hmm?"

Shinobu scratched at the wood a little, "Is Keitaro going to leave for good now?"

Haruka stood there, chewing on her lip for a moment, "Not for good, I don't think, but at least for a little while until he sorts a few things out."

A tear threatened to roll down her cheek, "Can I go with him?"

Although she almost chuckled, Haruka reined it in, "I don't think so, kiddo. Mitsune's going with him and I think that right now, you should probably focus on your school. It would be the best thing right now."

The young girl sighed dejectedly, "Oh. I see."

A friendly hand rested on her shoulder, "Hey, Keitaro doesn't want to see you suffer in school because of him. Mitsune's only going because she's got her own issues to deal with regarding him. Besides, I'll need you're help around here running things when he leaves."

Shinobu nodded slowly, realizing that she was right, "Alright. I'll stay for Keitaro."

Haruka smiled lightly, "For Keitaro."

* * *

It had taken her nearly an hour to find the address that Haruka had given her, but Mitsune had indeed found it. The place was located on the outskirts of town, but it was there. As she looked at the outside she wondered how a man who dealt in herbal medicine was connected to Haruka.

"_Now isn't the time for that. You have a job to do, remember?"_

She nodded her head, as if to reassure herself and went inside the old wooden building. Once inside, her nose was assaulted by all the different kinds of odors and aromas of the different medicines. She forced back a tear that had formed from the strength of the odor as she looked around the front room. The walls were lined with shelving of all sorts, each one containing numerous amounts of herbs and such that could be used as an alternative to regular pharmaceuticals. The only other person she noticed in here was the man behind the counter.

She has seen some large people before, but this man was most certainly the biggest she had ever seen. His head nearly reached the ceiling, with him standing at what she guessed had to be nearly seven feet tall. His balding head and several weeks beard growth on his chin did not help ease her slightly mounting fear of this tower of a man. Nor did it help that this man mostly likely could pick her up and use her as a toothpick, or so she judged by the massive size of his arms. As of the moment, he was well into a cigar, with the smoke billowing around him making him that much more intimidating.

Finally noticing he had a customer in the store, his gruff voice filled the small space, "Hello, Miss. How can I help ya?"

Frightened by the sound of his voice, she jumped a little, "Oh! Geez, you scared me."

He shrugged a little, "Sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean to frighten you little lady."

"No, it's alright," Mitsune said, starting to gather the courage to step up to the counter, "I guess I'm just on edge right now."

The man nodded his head, "I have something that could help you with that, if you're interested?"

She shook her head, "No, but thanks. I'm actually here to pick up something else, mister…"

"Please, drop the formalities," he said waving his hand to silence her, "Just call me Nobu. Nobu Yamanagi."

"Um, sure," Mitsune said, still unsure of herself around this tank of a man. She gently pulled out the slip of paper that Haruka had given her, "I was actually sent to pick up a package that someone said they left here in your care."

Nobu looked at the woman in front of him with a questioning glance, "Hate to tell ya this, but I don't have any packages for no one here. Ya might try the post office, though."

Her shoulders slumped at his words. She had hoped she'd gotten the address right, but maybe not. She sighed, and muttered silently to herself, "Geez, Haruka. You think you could have given me the right place?"

Just as she was turning to leave, Nobu stopped her, "Wait. Did you just say Haruka?"

Mitsune stopped and looked back at him, "Yeah. She's the one that sent me to find this package, wherever it is."

The big man chuckled deeply, taking a big puff of his cigar, "Wondered when that little squirt was gonna come pick it up. Shame she didn't come in person, though."

Mitsune halted in her tracks when she heard that, "Wait, you know Haruka?"

"Oh yeah. That little package of trouble and me go way back," He said, lifting a portion of the counter out of the way, "Come on back. I know what package you're after."

Cautiously, she shifted to head behind the counter to follow the man. It was almost comical to watch him squeeze through the normal sized door, but she kept her laughter in check. Kami above only knew what this man could do if he was mad.

Stepping into the back room, Nobu led the way through the storage racks and into his small cramped office. He set about spinning the dial on an old safe, "Yeah, Haruka is, or at least was, one of the most adventurous women I've ever known in my lifetime. Hell, I can't tell ya the number of times she pulled my ass out of the fire."

Mitsune looked at him quizzically, "She saved you?"

He spared a glance at her, a smile on his face, "Funny, isn't it?"

After a minute or so, the safe door opened and Nobu reached inside. He pulled a long, brown wrapped package from inside and handed it over to Mitsune, "Just curious why she needed this now. Thought she owned that teashop of hers?"

She bit her lip, her own pain still barely under control, "It's not for Haruka. Not really."

The man looked at her with a questioning gaze, then nodded his head, "Her nephew, huh?"

Mitsune sighed, holding back a few tears, "Yeah."

Silence descended on the two as they remained there waiting for the other to speak. Nobu coughed a little to break the tension, "Guy must be in pretty bad straits to need that."

"Um, Nobu," Mitsune started, looking down at the package in her hands, "What exactly is in here that Haruka wanted?"

The behemoth of a man shrugged his shoulders, "Beats me. Never told me what was in the damn thing either. Then again, with it being Haruka who gave it to me, I didn't want to know. Don't ask don't tell, you know?"

Mitsune nodded her head gently, still pondering over the boxes contents. Nobu took a long drag off his cigar and exhaled slowly, "So just how bad is the squirts nephew?"

She tried to fight off the shiver that ran up her spine. Clutching the package a little tighter, Mitsune looked away, "His whole life has gone down the drain in the span of one night."

Nobu leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, "That bad. Damn."

The woman nodded her head, "I don't think I'll ever get the look on his face out of my head."

Nobu looked up at her, noticing the pain just barely veiled in her eyes. He reached over across the desk and picked up an old, scratched wooden box. Looking back at her, he gave her the box, "Here. Take this with you."

Gingerly taking the box, she looked at him questioningly, "What's in it?"

"It's an old family recipe," Nobu said finally standing back up as the two walked back towards the front of the store, "It'll help get you to sleep. Remember to only use one teaspoon in a teapot though. Otherwise, you'll be out for the better part of a day when you do wake up."

She turned to look at Nobu as she headed towards the door, "Thank you. Keitaro will appreciate all the help."

"Don't worry about it," he waved his hand in polite dismissal, "Like I said, me and Haruka go way back. I owe her a lot more than she'll ever ask for."

Mitsune smiled slightly as she exited the store, "Again, thank you!"

Nobu stood there behind the counter as the girl vanished from his shop. Smiling, he took another long drag off his cigar, "Well, Haruka. Wonder what you have in mind for those two?"

* * *

"What are we doing just standing here, Su?"

An agitated Sarah stood there, waiting as she watched Su digging through her pile of discarded experiments. A time or two she could have sworn to have seen some of the things she'd set loose on the loser, but could not be for sure. She grumbled discontentedly, "Why aren't we going down there and picking on the dork?"

"Because," Su said, her voice muffled by the mound of metal she was digging through currently. After a moment or two, Su's head reappeared from the pile with a maniacal grin plastered on her face, "I haven't found what I'm looking for yet!"

Sarah growled in frustration, "Geez! What the heck are you looking for, anyway?"

Su had disappeared back into the pile of parts and pieces, a muffled laugh emanating from her search area, "Something to help Keitaro."

The longer Sarah thought about it, the more she realized that very few of Su's inventions had the desired effect she wanted them to have. A twisted grin began to form on her face as she envisioned the device that was supposed to heal Keitaro, but ultimately sent him soaring into low earth orbit. She rubbed her hands together in glee at the prospects of watching that happen, "Well hurry up already!"

It took another half an hour before Su was able to locate it, and as with everything else she had made, had the three eyes of her country emblazoned on the front of it. Su cried triumphantly, "Ah-hah! I found it!"

Sarah was delighted, but for an entirely different reason, "Good! Now come on and let's go help the dork!"

The pair raced out of her room and tore through the house towards the front door. As they ran by, they barely had time to dodge out of the way of Mutsumi as she entered into the building, "Oh, my! I wonder what has them so excited."

The closer they came to the teashop, the more anxious Sarah got. She was almost laughing out loud at the very image of Keitaro being launched airborne by this device of Su's. She was almost at the door when a hand grabbed her by the arm.

"Just what do the two of you think you're doing?"

Caught, the two blonde girls looked up at the angry face of Mitsune. They shared a silent look between themselves before looking back up at her. Su smiled as wide as she could, "We were just going to help Keitaro, Kitsune. We were gonna put this device on his head and then turn it on and…"

"Both of you go back to the house and stay there."

Su stopped and looked up at Mitsune, the smile gone from her face. Unsure of this new tone, Su continued, "But I have the perfect device to heal him all up and make him better. I just need to put it…"

"Su," Mitsune calmly turned the two girls to face back up the steps, "Keep you're gizmos and gadgets away from Keitaro."

Su and Sarah both shared a look of hurt. Sarah spoke up, "Aww, come on Kitsune. We were just gonna have a bit of fun!"

"Fun?"

The two foreigners froze at the coldness in Mitsunes' voice. They looked up at her, a small amount of fright in their eyes, "You think that hurting him is fun?"

Su backpedaled, "But he's always managed to survive anything that comes his way. He can take anything. He's invincible. He's…"

"He's hurt, Su," Mitsune said, stopping the girls arguments clean in their tracks. She gave her a harsh glare, "And not all hurt is physical. He doesn't find it fun when you blow him up, or electrocute him, or fry him, or zap him, or any of the other countless things you've put him through."

Sarah sniggered at watching her partner in crime getting scolded, at least she did until Mitsune fixed her deathly gaze on her, "And you, Sarah. Just because you don't want him near Seta, or to let him feel good about anything and find new ways to get him in trouble does not mean you have the right to do what you want to him. You think he likes being humiliated and degraded on a daily basis by someone who's less than half his age?"

Sarah cast her eyes down and harrumphed, "Not like it matters what he thinks anyway, he's just a…"

"Sarah MacDougal, you finish that sentence and I swear as Kami as my witness, I will give you the worst spanking you've ever gotten in your life!"

The little girls' eyes widened to the size of saucers as she brought her eyes back up to look at Mitsune, "Y-You wouldn't dare do that to me!"

Mitsunes' glare at her gave her all the answer she needed, but she took it one step further, "And if that won't be enough, I'll call Seta and tell him everything you've done to Keitaro since day one. And believe me, I've kept a running count of everything you've done. Wonder what he would say to that?"

Sarah, knowing she had lost the battle, looked away in mock hurt. Su on the other hand was not willing to let this go. She walked closer to Mitsune, "Please, Kitsune. We…"

Su never got to finish her sentence before Mitsune interrupted her, "Both of you go back up those stairs and inside! Now! And do not come back down here again!"

Defeat and pain in Su's eyes, she silently began trudging back up the stairs towards the Inn. Sarah followed, throwing a cautious glance back over her shoulder at Mitsune. Once they were out of sight of Mitsune, Sarah groaned in frustration, "This bites. If the dork really wants to sit down there and mope about being rejected, then fine by me."

"You don't get it do you, Sarah?"

Sarah looked over at Su cautiously, "What do ya mean?"

Su looked at the stairs as they climbed, for once showing the intelligence that she possessed. She stopped and rubbed at her cheek, "I mean, I never thought that he would break like this. Not once did I ever stop and think about what I was doing to him."

The young American looked at her questioningly, "Su, the dork didn't break. He's just hiding. I'm sure that when he finally gets up out of that bad mood, then he'll come up and you can…"

Su looked up at Sarah, silencing her with just that one look. Her shoulders shook a little from the pending sobs, "And if he did break, Sarah? What if he never gets out of his bad mood? What then?"

For once in her life, Sarah did not have a snappy come back. The pain evident in Su's eyes made her think twice before she opened her mouth to say anything. She had never seen Su cry before. Silence came over the pair, the only sound the calm rustling of the leaves in the wind being heard. Eventually Su tore her gaze away from Sarah, "Come on. Let's go to the Inn. I have to sort my inventions."

The emptiness in her voice told Sarah that they weren't going to be doing anything when they got back. Slowly and unsurely, she followed her friend back up the steps. Absently, Sarah wondered, _"What if he really did break? What'll happen to me?"_

* * *

Her anger at the two blonder haired girls wanting to have "fun" with Keitaro was slowly beginning to drain away. She waited until the two were out of sight before she released a long held sigh. Gently picking up the package and wooden box she had set down in her attempt at stopping the two, Mitsune walked inside the old teashop, _"That's one disaster averted and a step in the right direction."_

Upon entering the dimly lit teashop, she leaned against the door. Breathing in deeply, Mitsune tried to calm herself, "Geez, this is harder than it seems."

"Mitsune?"

Looking up, she saw the form of Shinobu slumped over on a table. Mitsune flashed her a weary smile, "Hey. How are you doing, Shinobu?"

Shinobu sat up a little bit, "I'm okay I guess."

"That's good," responded, standing up and walking over to where she was sitting. Setting the package and box down, she took a seat near Shinobu, "You have any problems while I was running that errand for Haruka?"

Shinobu meekly nodded her head, "Yeah. Just one, but I'm not sure what to make of it."

The older of the two gestured for her to continue, "Go on. What happened?"

"Well," Shinobu started, nervously twiddling her fingers. She tried to find a way to tell Mitsune this without making her angry at her too. Settling on the plainest way, Shinobu drew in a breath, "I yelled at Motoko."

Mitsune stopped for a second and looked at Shinobu. This was new, that was for sure. She mentally shook her head, _"This whole mess __is__ new."_

She was shaken from her thoughts when she heard the quite sobbing of Shinobu. Looking at the young girl in front of her, Mitsune gently reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Hey, its okay. Just tell me what happened."

Shinobu wiped away some of the tears already starting to roll down her cheeks, "I was getting yours and Keitaro's things and she caught me in Keitaro's room. She asked me what I was doing in the "perverts" room. That's when I lost it."

Her fists balled in anger and sadness as she recalled the event, "I've never been that angry, Mitsune. Never. I don't know why I yelled at her, even though I know what I was saying was the truth. Now…"

Mitsune gently brought her into a friendly embrace, "Its okay. I know how ya feel. I had to yell at Su and Sarah. I feel bad too, but the truth hurts. And we've taken too long to speak up. But we're going to try to fix it as best we can."

The blue haired girl finally erupted in uncontrolled sobbing as Mitsune held her. She did her best to console Shinobu, and after a time she calmed down. Shinobu looked up at her with teary eyes, "Things aren't going to be the same, are they?"

Mitsune shook her head gently, "No. I just hope that they'll be for the better."

They both heard the clearing of a throat from across the room and turned to look at Haruka standing there, propped up against the door frame. She offered a light smile for the two of them, "You get that package, Mitsune?"

Lifting it up for Haruka to see, she nodded, "Yeah. It's right here."

Haruka crossed the room and took the package from Mitsune, "Thanks, Mitsune. This will definitely be of help soon."

Handing her the wrapped package, Mitsune looked up at the older Urashima, "Just curious, what's in that thing? Nobu said you didn't even tell you."

She chuckled, "This is, or rather was, a big secret for me."

The two Hinata residents looked between each other, than back at Haruka. Shinobu rubbed away some of the tears still left in her eyes, "What secret?"

Calmly, Haruka lit another cigarette, "It was money for my wedding day."

Both of the two girls in her presence felt their jaws hit the ground. Mitsune looked at Haruka in shock, "No way?! You were planning on getting married?!"

"Yeah," Haruka said, pausing to take a drag off her cigarette, "What's wrong with planning for that?"

Mitsune backpedaled a little bit, "N-nothing! It's just I never knew you were engaged Haruka."

Haruka tapped some of the ash off the end of her cigarette into a nearby ashtray, "Neither did the guy that I was engaged to."

Now it was Shinobu who finally spoke up, "Who was he, Haruka?"

Waving a hand dismissively, Haruka turned with the package in hand towards the kitchen, "Doesn't matter now. That was years ago and we have something more to be concerning ourselves with."

Mitsune and Shinobu shared a look between themselves as Haruka left the room. There was definitely more to this story, but Haruka was right. They had more important matters to deal with right now.

* * *

Much later that evening, Haruka sat alone in the candle lit room staring at an old photograph of herself and a few of her "friends". She chuckled as she looked at it, remembering all the old times that they had gotten into and subsequently out of. She almost laughed at the length of Nobus' hair back then. Not once in her entire life did she ever feel more at home than when she was working with that rough and gruff bunch. She sighed sadly, knowing that those times were behind her, _"But the good times had to end some time, I guess."_

Setting the photo down, she looked over at the phone that sat nearby. She almost hated to call him, but it was urgent and she needed to call in another favor to really pull this off. Sipping on a mug of tea she had brewed, Haruka recalled her earlier conversation with Keitaro.

At first, he had been reluctant to leave the Inn on an indefinite trip. Even with Mitsune and Shinobu both saying that it was a good idea, it took nearly half an hour to convince him that the Inn had survived for many years before he was even born without him there before he would agree to go. After that battle, Mitsune had to fight her own battle to get him to let her go with him. In the end, his kind and forgiving nature finally won out and he again agreed to have her along with him. Though still sick, he would take the offer when he was better. Haruka only hoped that that was sooner rather than later.

Shuffling through the old box of memories in front of her, Haruka searched for his number. She finally found it under another old photo of her and Nobu facing each other down over the neck of a bottle of Tijuana's best. Picking up the receiver and dialing the number, she only prayed he wasn't drunk from the day before. It took a few rings, but eventually the other line clicked on. A low groaning sound was heard from the other end, "This had better either be a gorgeous woman or a record company saying they want me to sign with them."

Haruka chuckled lightly, "Sorry to burst your bubble, Nick."

"Haruka," the other voice said, recognizing her voice, "That you?"

"Yeah," she said, settling back into her seat, "It's me."

Nick took a minute to respond, "Two things Haruka. Why are you calling me at two in the freaking morning, and secondly is this gonna cost me?"

"You never change, Nick," Haruka laughed a little, "But to answer your questions, I'm calling in a favor, and it might require you to put a couple people up for an indefinite amount of time."

It took him a minute to respond, but groaned a little at the answers, "What's going on over in that part of the world that's got you calling in a favor?"

Haruka paused for a minute, gathering the courage, "My nephew. He's hit a rough patch. Wondering if he and a friend could come out that way and stay with you until he can piece himself back together?"

Again another long pause, this time making Haruka anxious. Eventually he sighed over the line, "How bad is this rough patch of his?'

"Life altering."

"Damn," Nick grunted, "That bad. Well, hell."

"Nick," Haruka said, leaning back up against the table top, "You know I wouldn't call in a favor without this being a life or death situation. I'm asking you here, can you do this for me?"

He sighed again, "You know, I hate it when you play that card."

"Oh," she said, feigning ignorance, "And what card is that?"

He chuckled lightly, "The one where you play on my will to help others."

Haruka smiled lightly, "So that means you'll do it?"

"Yeah. I'll do it. Besides, answering yes will get me back to sleep sooner."

She smiled in earnest now, thanking whatever higher power was up there, "Thanks, Nick. You really came through for me."

"Think nothing of it," he said, his smile almost showing in his voice, "A friend in need and all that."

Sighing in relief, Haruka pulled out a cigarette, "Again, thanks. I'll call when they get on the plane headed that way so you'll have some warning. Right now he's staying put because he's sick, but within the week he'll be headed that way."

"Alright," she heard him respond, "I'll keep my eyes and ears open for 'em then."

Inhaling deeply from the cigarette, Haruka nodded, "Alright. You take care, Nick."

"You too, Haruka."

After she heard the click signaling the end of the call, Haruka replaced the receiver. With that out of the way, all that was left was for Keitaro to get better. Sipping her tea and letting the relaxing aroma of the cigarette fill her nostrils, Haruka wondered just where this road would lead to. She chuckled to herself, _"Guess we'll find out where this road goes soon enough. But for now, it's really out of our hands. Kami help him."_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own _Love Hina_. Ken Akamatsu and his affiliates do. This is a piece made purely for the love and enjoyment of the series.

* * *

After her brief run in with Su and Sarah, Mutsumi had decided to go upstairs to study with Naru like she did every day. Carefully walking up the stairs and to Naru's room, Mutsumi did notice that there was a feeling of unease in the air of the Inn. What caused it, she didn't know, but it was not overly oppressing. However, she did notice the absence of everyone else that should have been present. As she came to Naru's door, she found that it was shut tight and when she went to test the door, she found it to be locked. Mutsumi raised a questioning eyebrow, "Naru? Are you in there? It's Mutsumi, and I've come to study."

She stood there for a minute or two before shrugging her shoulders and began to turn away. She stopped after she heard the sound of a sob coming from the other side of the door. Looking back at it, Mutsumi frowned lightly, "Naru? Are you alright?"

Mutsumi waited for a response, hoping she had not heard the cry. When it came again from behind the door, Mutsumi felt her hopes drop a little. She listened hoping to hear Naru's voice or even Keitaro's voice comforting her, but all she heard was Naru sobbing quietly behind the door. Mutsumi knocked on the door, "Naru, are you okay in there? What happened?"

Rustling came from behind the door and after a moment or so, Mutsumi heard the lock click open. After a few more seconds of rustling, she heard Naru, "You can come in."

The pain in her voice tugged at Mutsumi's heart. Something was wrong, and she had an idea what it might be. Sliding the door open, Mutsumi was greeted with a darkened room. The belongings of the occupant were thrown around the room, clothes and books scattered across the floor. Sitting on the far end of the room was Naru, curled up clutching Liddo-kun. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she looked as though she hadn't been out of bed until late in the day. Stepping in and carefully sliding the door closed behind her, Mutsumi walked across the room to Naru. As she knelt beside the young woman, Mutsumi rested a hand on her shoulder, "Naru? Did something happen?"

Naru sniffled lightly, trying to reign in her sadness. She nodded slowly, "Yes."

Getting the response, Mutsumi sat down beside her, "Between you and Keitaro?"

Again Naru nodded, another wave of tears threatening to burst from her eyes. She tried to keep them from coming, but eventually they began to run down her cheeks. For the hundredth time today, she began crying, "He h-hasn't come….back to…the Inn…yet…And then Haruka….Keitaro was sick…."

Mutsumi gently pulled Naru into a comforting embrace and shushed her, "Its okay. I'm sure he's alright, Naru. He'll come back. He loves you that much."

Naru shook her head violently as she latched on to Mutsumi, "What if he doesn't come back, Mutsumi? What if I've driven him away?"

The darker haired girl wiped some of the tears off Naru's face, "Shh. You haven't driven him away."

"But what if I have, Mutsumi," Naru said, the tears and sobbing becoming more as she continued, "What if…if I've hit him one too many times and now he doesn't even want to see me again?"

Mutsumi pulled the girl in her arms back to look her in the face, "Don't even think that Naru. He loves you more than anything else. He will come back to you. The two of you do need to have a heart to heart. You need to tell him just how much he means to you."

The sobbing girl looked down, hoping that Mutsumi was right. She sobbed for a few more minutes, before her tears stopped. She looked up at Mutsumi, "Thank you, Mutsumi."

She smiled back at Naru, "That's what friends are for, Naru-chan."

A faint smile crossed Naru's face for a brief second, "You're right."

She rubbed Naru's back lightly, soothing the girl more. She was unsure if she should ask her next question, but decided that it had to be done. Looking at Naru, Mutsumi picked her words, "Do you know where he is?"

Naru looked away, "I don't, but Haruka does."

Nodding, Mutsumi led Naru over to where her futon was spread out on the floor, "Alright, you rest for now and I'll go talk with him. I'm sure he's in just as much pain as you are."

Naru nodded slightly, "Do you think he'll come back?"

"Honestly?" Mutsumi said, hoping to quell some of her friends' fears, "I think he will once he knows how much you care for him."

Again Naru nodded, allowing herself to be put onto the futon. She laid there calmly as Mutsumi walked towards the door. Walking out into the hall and closing the door, Mutsumi sighed lightly, keeping her voice down to not alert Naru. Looking out the nearby window, she saw the wind moving through the trees. It seemed so peaceful. Inwardly, Mutsumi cringed at the sight, _"Yet there is no peace here. Not until I can convince Keitaro to come back to the Inn."_

Gently, she began her trek down the stairs and out of the house to go to the tea shop. Haruka knew where he was, then that is where she would start. She had to find someway to get Keitaro to return. She thought of telling him that Naru was crying and in pain because he hadn't returned, but thought better of it. That would only stress the situation more than it already was. Then she thought about trying to trick him into returning. Again, it would only make matters worse. Walking down the stairs in front of the Inn, Mutsumi stopped and shook her head. Looking towards the sky, she watched the clouds lazily move by overhead. She frowned, _"It's sad that there is so much hurt and sadness on such a beautiful day."_

Before too long, she arrived at the teashop. Unlike other days she had visited, it was closed and the windows closed. Gently, she knocked, hoping that she could finally get some answers to the unasked questions still lingering in her mind. It took a few minutes and another round of knocks before the door finally opened up. Haruka looked at her, a cigarette dangling from her mouth as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her, "Can I help you, Mutsumi?"

She squared her shoulders as best she could, "I'm looking for Keitaro, Haruka-san. Have you seen him?"

Haruka's jaw tensed a little, but then relaxed as she sighed, "Yes, Mutsumi. I know where he is."

"Thank you, Haruka," Mutsumi bowed, a small smile on her face, "Can you tell me so that I can go talk to him?"

Haruka took a puff off her cigarette, "Sorry, Mutsumi."

The younger brunette looked at Haruka with a questioning look, "He made you promise not to tell anyone?"

Haruka shook her head, "No. I'm just not telling anyone until he's ready."

Mutsumi narrowed her eyes, unsure of where this was going, "What do you mean, until he's ready, Haruka-san?"

The older woman sighed deeply, taking the cigarette out of her mouth, "Mutsumi, trust me when I say that this is nothing you can help him with. He has to do this on his own."

"Haruka-san," Mutsumi said, still unsure but now starting to feel as though she was hiding something, "What are you not telling me?"

Haruka crossed her arms and leaned against the door, "What I'm not telling you is what Keitaro doesn't want you to know. Right now he's trying to put things back together, and he doesn't need other people telling him what is best for him."

Mutsumi glared at Haruka, "I have only ever thought of him before anyone else, Haruka. Please, just let me talk to him for a few minutes. I'm sure this is all just a big misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding," Haruka said, not even really believing how naïve Mutsumi was. She looked at the younger girl, noticing the anger starting to build. She shook her head, "Mutsumi, there is no misunderstanding. I wish that this all had been, but it isn't. This is as serious as things can get."

Haruka watched the younger girl take a step forward, her eyes starting to show her anger, "Haruka-san, let me see him. I know he is your nephew, but you cannot let him hide when Naru is in pain. She…"

"I know what pain Naru is in, Mutsumi," The older Urashima interrupted. Mutsumi looked her right in the eyes, noticing the swirling of anger and contempt, "I know exactly what is going through Naru's head right now, and it's about damn time that she finally faced it."

Mutsumi took a step back, a little shocked, "How could you say that, Haruka-san? She's done nothing but try to love Keitaro, and while I know it hasn't been easy, I'm sure…."

Haruka raised a hand, cutting Mutsumi's objection short. She looked at the young woman with a pained expression, "Mutsumi, what Naru has for Keitaro right now is not love or even borderline affection. I'm sure at first it may have been, but right now, it isn't anything more than her using him for her own satisfaction."

The young brunette looked at Haruka appalled, "Haruka-san! That is a horrible thing to say about someone your nephew loves!"

Taking a drag off her cigarette, Haruka looked towards the Inn at the top of the hill, "Tell me, Mutsumi. Could you love someone who constantly hits you, belittled you, insulted you, and never thought twice about doing those things?"

Mutsumi looked stunned as she considered Haruka's words, "I…well, I don't…."

Haruka looked away, turning to grab the doorknob, "It's different to look at it when you're the one on the receiving end, isn't it?"

With that, Haruka opened the door and went inside, leaving Mutsumi outside in thought. She stood there for a few moments, before finally turning and heading back up the stairs to the Inn. She thought back to every moment that she had shared with Keitaro and Naru, looking at them in earnest. Every time they appeared to be getting close, Naru would deny her feelings and when Keitaro would persist, she would hit him or insult him. And each and every time that it happened, she remembered the pained look on Keitaro's face. Remembering the face made her feel ashamed for herself.

As she reentered the Inn, she looked towards the stairs. Up in her room, she knew Naru was in pain and saddened deeply for what has happened, but if Keitaro had come back with her, would it have made any difference at all? She looked away and headed towards the hot springs, hoping she could at least begin to piece together the mess that was all around her. As she slid out of her clothes and took a towel, she thought of what it would take for Keitaro to take Naru back, if he would take her back. As she sank into the warm water, Mutsumi pulled her legs up to her chest. She remembered back to her high school years, to her own experience.

She frowned, not truly wanting to recall those years. They were not the kindest to her, or the happiest. Leaning back against the stone rim, she looked back up at the sky. The clouds continued to roll by, without what seemed as a care in the world of what happened down below. Mutsumi frowned deeply, "I was wrong. Today really isn't a beautiful day after all."

* * *

Her room was dark, except the small amount of light that filtered in from the hallway under her door. Incense burned, filling the room with a smooth, gentle aroma. Motoko sat, trying to focus on calming her mind to meditate, hoping it would allow her to learn the path that she should follow to achieve atonement. She had sat and focused for hours, burning incense and filtering out all outside distractions. But it wasn't the external that had her so unsettled, but the internal that was not allowing her to reach a calm state.

She could see in her mind, every ounce of pain she had caused Keitaro, and she recalled the feelings she had with each incident. She felt triumph and pride in her ability to bring 'justice' to a petty weak individual. She felt the surge of euphoria with each 'victory', but when she looked back at it all, she felt nothing but contempt and disgust at herself.

Opening her eyes, Motoko looked down at the sword she had been given by her sister. It looked regal and majestic in the light. What little light was entering the room, glinted off the lacquered sheath. It had been a joyous occasion when she had been granted the privilege of carrying a blade. She had felt accomplishment and trust by her family to give her such an honor. Now, looking at the blade, she realized how vain it had been for her to assume such things.

Now, she knew that she did not have the right to carry such a valued item, especially in her family's name. She now knew exactly what lesson she was learning now, and so far she had failed to grasp the severity of it. Now she was finding it hard to swallow the fact that she had fallen short of her schools teachings, and wondered if she had been right in leaving in the first place. She had been so sure of herself, so righteous in her want, no need, to punish evil and depravity, that she had overlooked the need to view a situation objectively before her blade was ever drawn. In her haste to right wrongs, she had forgotten to obtain all the information and to place herself outside of the situation before passing verdict and punishment.

Looking at the elegant curve of the blade before her, she knew that she had no right to carry her family's sword. She closed her eyes and bowed deeply and reverently to the blade, "I have shamed myself and my family. Please forgive me."

She sat like that, for what seemed like hours, hoping to hear a voice from anyone or anything to give her a sign that she had been forgiven. Yet none came to her, and she sat back up with absolute resentment at herself to think that forgiveness would be that easy. With the pain and suffering she had inflicted on those around her without a second thought, she was not surprised.

She stood, leaving the blade sitting on its stand, and crossed to the small writing desk she had in her room. Knowing that there was nothing more that she could do, she pulled out a sheet of paper and began to write a long, lengthy letter to her sister in Kyoto. She spared herself no comment or remark to hide the shame she felt. Every word, every letter on the page was meant to convey her need to her sister to redeem herself. She knew that once her sister read it, that she would be furious, and she would be right to exact whatever punishment she deemed right. Even though she feared her sisters' retribution, she feared the ever gnawing pain and shame more. That alone drove her to write down every instance, every detail in her letter.

It took her several hours to complete, the light just beginning to fade outside when she finished it. The simple one page letter had evolved into several dozen pages, each one containing her disgrace and dishonor in painful detail. Pulling an envelope out from a draw, she carefully folded and placed the letter into it and sealed it. Knowing it would not be sent out tonight if she mailed it, she set it upon her desk and swore to herself that she would mail it the next morning.

Finally standing and pulling open her door, she was greeted with a beautiful sunset. Stepping gently out into the hallway, Motoko looked at it with awe and understanding. Though she knew her journey would be a long and arduous one, she knew that in the end that it would be worth the pain to understand such beauty that she had somehow lost sight of.

As she looked on, she squared her shoulders gently, "I swear that I will atone for my sins. I know not how long it will take, but I will do so even if it kills me."

* * *

The next two days went by very slowly for everyone at the Inn. Mitsune decided it was better to stay away from the Inn, not sure how she would react around the other tenants right now. So for the time being, she stayed in the teashop with Haruka and Keitaro. On the second morning, he finally had recovered completely from his illness, and was moving around easily. Mitsune looked at him from across the table, watching him eat his lunch. Though they had discussed it several times in the last few days, she knew he was reluctant to let her go with him on his trip.

He eventually looked at her from across the table, "Mitsune, are you sure about this?"

She looked at him, shaken from her thoughts, "Sure about what?"

"Well," he started, putting down the glass he had in front of him, "about going with me. I'm sure that it would probably be pretty boring, just sitting there waiting for me to make a decision."

Mitsune shook her head lightly, "I'm sure I want to go, Keitaro. I need this just as much as you do."

Again, he looked across at her, worry in his eyes. She smiled lightly, reaching across the table to rest a hand on his shoulder, "I'm a big girl, Keitaro. Besides, someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble."

He smiled meekly, and Mitsune could tell it was just a little forced. She frowned inside her mind, hoping that one day she could see those smiles of his when they weren't forced. They sat there in silence for the rest of the meal, taking in the small measure of peace at the time. A few minutes passed before Haruka appeared with Shinobu in tow. Immediately, Shinobu ran over and threw her arms around Keitaro, "Sempai! I'm glad you're feeling better."

Again, Mitsune watched that fake smile dance across Keitaro's face, "Its okay, Shinobu. I'm fine."

Haruka cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention as Shinobu released Keitaro from her embrace. The older Urashima looked at Keitaro, "So, now that you're better, when do you want to leave?"

He looked at his aunt, the sad almost depressed look returning to his face, "I guess whenever we can. No offense, Haruka, but I think I've spent more than enough time here."

She nodded, "Don't worry, Keitaro. You're family, and we look out for each other."

"Thanks," he bowed lightly in respect, before looking back at Shinobu and Mitsune, "I guess whenever we're packed will work. Though I don't know when the next flight for wherever you're sending us is leaving."

Haruka patted him on the shoulder, "I've taken care of that. As soon as I knew you were better, I booked a flight. It leaves tomorrow at seven in the morning. It's a none stop flight, so you won't have to make any transfers to another plane."

Mitsune nodded, "Thanks Haruka. We'd be up a creek if it hasn't been for your help."

The brunette shook her head, "I do what I can."

Shinobu, "So are you going to tell the others before you leave, Sempai?"

For a moment, Mitsune saw a small trace of fear and panic in Keitaro's eyes before it vanished. He sat there, thinking about what to do or say, but slumped forward after a minute, "I want to tell them, but I'm not sure I want to face them right now."

His aunt pulled out another cigarette, lighting it as she spoke, "It's your choice, Keitaro, but they should at least know you're leaving."

Mitsune nodded, looking between Keitaro and his aunt, "She's right. You don't have to tell them where you're going, but at least a goodbye would work."

"It's just that," he started, trailing off for a moment before finding his voice again, "I don't know if I could face her right now. I don't know what I'd say or what she'd do…"

As he trailed off again, Mitsune stood, "Keitaro, I'll be there so don't worry about Naru. I swear, Kami as my witness, that she will _not_ lay a finger on you."

Keitaro was a little shocked by her, but then reluctantly nodded. Shinobu put a hand on his shoulder, "And I'll be there too, Sempai. Nothing is going to happen to you with us there. I promise."

Mitsune saw the tears starting to form in Keitaro's eyes as he spoke, "Thank you. All of you. I'm sorry I've been such a burden…"

"Keitaro," Mitsune said, forcing him to look at her. She looked at him with those beautiful blue eyes and smiled lightly, "You don't have to be sorry for anything. We want to help you. You have never been a burden."

Slowly, but surely, the tears dried and he nodded, "Thank you, Mitsune."

Haruka took a long drag off her cigarette, "You still want to talk to them, Keitaro?"

He looked at his aunt, and slowly nodded. Looking away, he frowned slightly, "It's the least I can do. They've been worried about me. They should at least know that I'm leaving for awhile."

"_Or forever,"_ Mitsune thought, hoping and praying that she would be able to help fix his problems. Standing slowly, she looked at the three there, "Well, I guess we'll do this tonight then when they sit down for dinner."

Shinobu nodded, "It's about the only time that they all are at the Inn at the same time."

Keitaro sighed heavily, "Yeah. I guess I better start packing then."

With that, Keitaro stood from the table and disappeared down the hallway. Mitsune watched him, her heart aching with every step he took. He almost seemed like a prisoner on death row, destined to die before their time. She clenched a fist, hoping that Naru didn't do anything stupid tonight, but if she did, she would not hold back. Shinobu calling her name brought her attention back to those around her, "Mitsune-san?"

The brown haired girl looked at her, smiling weakly, "It's okay Shinobu. Just lost in thought there. Go on, we don't want to keep you too long."

The younger girl nodded before leaving quietly. Haruka watched as the door closed behind her before sighing, "I hope she makes it through this okay. I'd hate to see this make her pull even further away from others."

Mitsune nodded, "Yeah. They say the first thing to go is innocence in something like this. I just hope hers stays intact."

The older of the two nodded, taking a drag off her cigarette, "I hope so too."

* * *

Keitaro sat in his borrowed room, looking at the small picture book he's kept for years. His suitcases were neatly packed and set aside by the door, a spare change of clothes left out for the morning, and his personal items left nearby. The day was nearing evening, and all he had done for the last two hours was stare at the book. Inside, he saw the two pictures that he had treasured ever since they were taken. In them were himself and Naru. In them, she seemed almost happy to be there. After a moment longer of looking at them, he felt the tears beginning to slide down his face slowly. Reaching up, he gently wiped them away.

"Keitaro?"

He looked over at the door, seeing Mitsune standing there. She looked at him intently, "It's time."

Keitaro nodded slowly, gently closing the book, "Where did I go wrong, Mitsune?"

Mitsune stood there, leaning up against the doorframe, "Things didn't go wrong, Keitaro. They just happened in a way you couldn't control or predict."

He looked at her, noticing how she looked in the failing light of day. He paused for a moment before continuing, "So fate had a say?"

She shrugged gently, looking at him, "I don't know. Call it karma. Fate. Destiny. Whatever it is, it's screwed with all of us a time or two. Some of us worse than others."

After a moment of silence, Keitaro stood gently. Walking over to the small desk in the room, he laid the book down and turned to Mitsune, "I guess we'd better go."

Walking past her, Mitsune looked at the book. She knew what was in it, and for him to leave it behind would be a big decision, "Keitaro."

He stopped and turned back to her, "Yes?"

Mitsune gently chewed on her lower lip, wondering if she should ask. She thought it best to ask in the end, "Aren't you going to pack your picture book?"

Keitaro stood, sadness passing over his face as he gently looked away. He shook his head gently, almost imperceptibly, "No. There are too many memories in it."

He then turned back and continued down the hall to the main room. Mitsune, after sparing another glance at the book, followed. In the main room, Haruka was waiting smoking on a half spent cigarette. She nodded at Mitsune and Keitaro when they entered. Standing, she placed a hand on Keitaro's shoulder, "You sure about this, Keitaro?"

Keitaro, squaring his shoulder slightly, nodded, "I have to do this. It may be the last time I see them for a long time."

Mitsune cringed on the inside, _"If you see them again."_

Patting his shoulder, Haruka turned and opened the door to the teashop and stepped outside. Keitaro followed behind her, with Mitsune right behind him. As Haruka turned and locked the door, Mitsune watched as Keitaro stood and stared up the large stairs in front of him. Moving next to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. We'll take them one at a time."

He turned to look at her, his face now a mask. But despite how well he made it, she could still see the hurt and sadness in his eyes. He faked a smile, "I'm glad you're here, Mitsune."

She flashed him a kind smile, "What are friends for?"

Returning their attention back to the steps, they slowly began making their way up towards the Inn. Mitsune never strayed more than five feet from Keitaro, just in case something happened. While she was calm on the outside, she was a fury of thoughts and ideas in her mind. She thought about her own first trip up these steps so many years ago, and of the memories that the Inn held for her. She even remembered when Keitaro first appeared there, and the many memories she had of him. She cringed at the ones that showed him being hurt or manipulated, and she cried at the ones that held him suffering. But there were a rare few of him genuinely happy, and those ones she held on to and enjoyed. After the recent events, she just knew that she had to bring that Keitaro back. Not the one she had in front of her. Not this shadow, but the real Keitaro. The happy and energetic Keitaro that she remembered.

She spared a look at him, just as they reached the top of the stairs. He was looking at the Inn with a mixture of both happiness and sadness. For a split second, she thought he was going to turn and head right back down the stairs, but he stood firm and after a moment took a step forward. Inwardly, she congratulated him on his courage and prayed that it would hold out long enough to finish this night. Following along with him, she was the first to reach the door. Turning back to Keitaro, she took a deep breath, "Ready?"

He didn't say anything, just simply nodded. Nodding in return, Mitsune opened the door, and stepped inside, Keitaro and Haruka right behind her. Things hadn't really changed on the inside of the Inn visually. It still looked as homey and hospitable as ever, but the mood felt all wrong. Where it should feel happy and peaceful, the air was agitated and pained. After a moment of taking in the atmosphere of the room, she noticed the sounds of movement in the kitchen and motioned to the others.

Gently the three of them made their way to the dining room. Mitsune was about to enter when she felt a hand on her arm stop her. Turning around, she met Keitaro's gaze. She felt the sadness in her well up again, but put it aside. He gently moved past her and calmly into the dining room. Mitsune was right behind him.

Inside the room, the other girls had been seated and were almost ready to eat dinner before Keitaro cleared his throat. At the sound, all activity stopped in the room as the others looked up to see Keitaro standing there near the doorway. Mitsune felt her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for something, anything to happen. After a few seconds, the room remained silent until Shinobu bowed to Keitaro, "Good evening, Sempai. Would you like some dinner?"

Keitaro shook his head gently, "Not right now, Shinobu. Maybe later."

The silence returned as she could see Keitaro's shoulders begin to tense up as he tried to find his voice. He looked away before he spoke, "I'm sorry I haven't been around the last few days. I've been…"

Naru stood gently, looking at Keitaro disapprovingly, "Where have you been, Keitaro?"

Haruka leaned in the doorway, just behind Keitaro, "He's been at my teashop recovering."

The young brunette looked at Haruka, then back at Keitaro, "Recovering? Were you sick?"

He looked at her, trying to avoid looking her in the eyes, "Yes."

"I don't get it, Keitaro," Sarah said, leaning back in her chair, "Why not just come back here to your room? Or were you just too dense to figure that out?"

Mitsune saw Keitaro cringe slightly. Not enough for the others to notice, but she did. Keitaro looked at the little foreign girl, the pain starting to show in his eyes, "Please, Sarah. Don't start."

Naru crossed her arms, "Yeah, if you were sick why not come back here? We'd have helped you as best we could."

She almost recoiled at the pain in Keitaro's eyes when he locked his eyes on hers, "Not all of it was physical, Naru."

Motoko, gently stood, "Urashima, I must ask for your forgiveness."

Everyone in the room looked at the young swordswoman, as she bowed deeply to Keitaro. He looked at her, watching her as she bowed. Mitsune held her breath, hoping things would not spiral out of control. She noticed that Motoko did not have her sword, but that didn't make things safe around here. Keitaro's' gaze never wavered, "You're asking me to forgive all the pain you've caused me, Motoko. I…."

He felt the tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes as he looked away, "…I can't do that."

Mutsumi finally spoke up, raising herself out of her seat, "Kei-kun, she apologized. It's very rude to not accept…"

"I can't, Mutsumi," Keitaro yelled, jolting everyone, including Mitsune. He forced the hurt aside, locking Mutsumi with his pained eyes, "I can't forgive someone who has hurt and belittled me for as long as I've known them! I-I just can't!"

Naru took a step forward, her own temper starting to flare, "Keitaro, if this is about the university than you should just accept it! You can't change that!"

He turned to look at Naru. For a split second, he considered turning and leaving right then, but found an urge to stand there. His face hardened, "I know, Naru. I can't change the past. But I can change the future."

The young woman looked at him, her eyes narrowing as her temper started getting the better of her, "What are you talking about, Keitaro?"

Keitaro squared his shoulders, "I'm leaving, and I don't know when I'll be back."

The room fell silent, each girl in the room taking this news in their own way. Mutsumi was the first to break it, "Keitaro, I'm sure that you and Naru…"

"No," Keitaro interrupted, his voice barely audible. He looked at the darker haired brunette and shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't work anything out with her right now. I have to…."

"You bastard!"

Keitaro looked back at Naru, seeing the anger in her eyes. Her fists were balled up and she was almost snarling at him, "You're just gonna run away again?! Do you think that will solve anything?!"

Mitsune was prepared to see Naru at her worst, but this was worse than she expected. Keitaro sighed heavily, "Is staying here going to solve anything?"

"You always run when life doesn't go your way," her voice was beginning to break in places, but the anger was there none the less. Naru glared at him, her eyes narrowing, "You take the easy way out, and leave the rest of us wondering if you're even alive! What the hell makes you think that things will be better if you leave?!"

He looked away, "Naru, I have to leave, because if I stay, things will only get worse."

The brunette came closer, her hands gesturing around her to the other tenants, "We're all here for you Keitaro! We've always been here for you, but you're just too damn selfish to see it!"

Keitaro stood there, silent for a second, before he looked back at Naru, "There are only two people in this room that haven't knowingly put me in danger, and that's Shinobu and Haruka. The rest of you have caused me untold pain and humiliation. Maybe I am selfish, but the times that I needed you most, only those two have been there for me."

Naru stabbed a finger at him, "Where the hell do you get off telling me what's wrong here?! I know exactly what's going on! You're throwing another Keitaro pity party! Well, guess what?! I'm not falling for it! You can just shut the hell up…"

"Shut up, Naru!"

Her next words failed on her tongue as she looked at a now angry Keitaro. Not once had any of them ever seen him angry, let alone mad. Now, they had front row seats to a very real and very pissed Keitaro. He glared at Naru, "Just shut up and listen Naru!"

He pointed at Motoko, "I never wanted to be a practice dummy for her, but I wound up being one! And I was always at fault, no matter if what happened was an accident or not! Did I deserve all that pain, Naru?"

Then his glare leveled at Sarah and Su, "And the two of you have never once given me a quiet moment without blowing something up or shooting me with something! Did I deserve that, Naru?"

He then turned to Mutsumi, "Although I know you had the best intentions, you were no better, Mutsumi! I know you can't help fainting, but you always did it when it was most convenient! Did I ever deserve to be punished for that, Naru?"

Then his cold glare returned to Naru. His blood was boiling, "And you're the worst out of all of this, Naru. I gave you my heart! I did everything I could to make you happy! I even thought that I would forget about my promise girl if she wasn't you just to be with you! But you never gave me anything! If I said something wrong, if I tripped and landed in a bad position with you or anyone else here or even if I looked at you wrong you would send me from here to the outskirts of the prefecture! What, in Kami's green earth, did I ever do to deserve such contempt and pain from you?! What, Naru, did I do wrong?! Tell me what I did to deserve that!"

The entire time he was going around the room, Mitsune watched as Naru got even madder than she had. When Keitaro finished, Naru's knuckles were white, and Mitsune was sure she was going to kill Keitaro. Keitaro took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, "No, Naru. I'm leaving to get away from everything here, because if I don't I'll kill myself if one of you doesn't beat me to it."

With that, Keitaro turned and headed for the door, "Goodbye everyone. Maybe you'll see me again some day."

Before he reached the kitchen door, Naru let out a primal roar, "You BASTARD!!!"

She rushed forward, her hand held high. But two things occurred that shook everyone in the room. The first was Shinobu crying out, "Narusegawa! Leave him alone!"

That didn't even faze Naru, but the second did. Standing, between her and Keitaro, stood Mitsune. And she was pissed. Naru looked at her friend coldly, "Get out of my way Mitsune!"

Mitsune stared back with equal anger, "Like hell I will."

Turning around, Keitaro saw Mitsune. He made a step towards her, "Mitsune, are you…"

"Don't worry, Keitaro," She said, her gaze never leaving Naru's eyes, "Just go on. I'll be behind you in awhile."

Keitaro stood there for a second before nodding and left. Haruka stayed behind, watching and waiting. When the front door closed, Naru spoke, "Move, Mitsune!"

She didn't budge, "Give me one damn good reason why I should!"

Naru balled her fist up and was ready to lash out, "Move it or I'm gonna…"

"You'll what?" Mitsune said, staring at Naru defiantly, "You'll hit me too?"

Her friend looked at her, anger almost overwhelming her, "You're just as guilty as I am, _Kitsune_. All the money you've swindled him out of, and all the fun you had at his expense with your little pranks."

Mitsune nodded, "I know. But unlike you, I've recognized where I've gone wrong, and I'm trying to change," She closed her eyes for a second, taking a deep breath, "Naru, you have been my friend for years."

Naru looked at Mitsune, the anger starting to fade, "Mitsune?"

The older girl opened her eyes, staring Naru dead in the eye. There was anger and regret in her eyes, making Naru shiver slightly, "Naru, I'm sorry, but I can't be your friend any more."

With that, Mitsune turned and left. Naru stood there for a few seconds, before her feet gave out beneath her and she collapsed to the floor. As the front door closed again, Haruka looked at everyone there. She shook her head, "Just so you are all aware of the gravity of this situation, when he leaves, I'm not even sure he's coming back."

Turning on her heels, Haruka left the gathered mass of girls to ponder their fate.

* * *

Outside, Mitsune caught up with Keitaro. He was stopped looking up at the now rising moon. Mitsune rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, "You okay?"

He scoffed, "I don't think I'll ever be okay again."

Gently, Mitsune rubbed his back, "Sure you will. That's why I'm here."

Looking at her, Mitsune shivered at the blank stare that greeted her. A small flicker of life appeared as she watched him, "I know I've said it too much already, but thank you."

She smiled lightly at him, "You never have to say anything, Keitaro. I know I've been just as bad as the rest of them in the past, but I swear I'll never hurt you intentionally again."

Nodding gently, the two stood there until Haruka joined them. She watched the two of them before lighting another cigarette, keeping an eye out for anyone behind them, "That took some guts, Keitaro."

He looked at Haruka, his eyes now empty. He frowned gently, "There is a big difference between courage and foolishness.

She chuckled gently, "Your right. There is a big difference."

Mitsune looked at the older Urashima, "So what'll happen to the Inn while we're gone?"

Haruka puffed out a small puff of smoke, considering her options, "Well, I could always ask Kanako to come, but knowing her, that would only make things worse."

She looked back at the Inn, wondering just what to do. Shaking her head, Haruka looked at Keitaro, "I guess I'll just have to run it. I know Shinobu will at least be able to help. That and I could probably hire on an extra hand at the teashop to keep it running at the same time."

Keitaro looked down, sadness returning, "I'm sorry to cause you so much trouble Aunt Haruka."

Mitsune braced herself for the eventual smack of a fan, but it never came. When she looked at Haruka, she noticed her cringe at the sound, but did nothing. Haruka locked Keitaro with a hard stare, "You know better than to call me that."

Keitaro drew back slightly, "Sorry, Haruka."

She took another hit off her cigarette before softening her glare, "You're forgiven this time, Keitaro. Just do me one thing. When you come back from your trip, promise me never to call me that again."

After a moment, Mitsune was relieved to at least see a partial smile that wasn't faked grace Keitaro's face, "I promise, Haruka."

Checking her watch, Haruka looked at the two of them, "The two of you had better get some sleep. You'll have to leave early to get your tickets and go through security."

The two of them nodded, as they all began to make their way back to the teashop. Once inside, Haruka locked the door again and looked at Mitsune who had stayed in the main room to talk to her. Haruka looked at her, "Yes?"

Mitsune rubbed her arm, "You never said who we're meeting at the airport."

Haruka smiled at her, before crossing to the counter and pulled out a small box of photos. Looking through it for a second, she retrieved one and brought it to her. She pointed at a young man, long brown hair and a pair of striking grey eyes, "His name is Nick Andrews. He's an old friend of mine. He's going to put you up for awhile at his place."

The other girl looked at the picture, making a mental note of his appearance, "You have a lot of friends no one knew about."

Haruka laughed, taking the picture back gently and replaced it back in the box, "A woman has to keep some secrets."

Mitsune nodded gently before heading to her own room for the night, "And Haruka."

The older Urashima looked at her again from the counter, "Yeah?"

Bowing slightly, Mitsune smiled, "Thank you."

Haruka nodded, returning the small smile, "You'd do the same in my shoes. Now get some rest."

Mitsune nodded and then left down the hallway, leaving Haruka all alone in the room. Puffing lightly on the cigarette in hand, Haruka wondered just exactly what was to come next for her nephew and Mitsune. Looking at a picture of herself, Nobu, Nick, and a few others, she smiled. Somehow, when it came to her friends and Mitsune being involved, anything seemed possible.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own _Love Hina_. Ken Akamatsu and his affiliates do. This is a piece made purely for the love and enjoyment of the series.

* * *

Though he had slept little the night before, Keitaro was awake and alert long before the sun had risen over the horizon. He had been restless and sleep had been difficult to find, so he had opted to wait with his luggage in his borrowed room in the tea house until it was time to leave. In this time he looked back at his life, and what he was beginning to see was not any more pleasant than his previous revelations.

Countless mistakes he had made, errors in judgment he could not correct, and even his bull-headedness in pursuing his "promise girl" to the detriment of his own social life. It was a wonder he even managed to befriend Shirai and Haitani, but even that small measure of comfort had its own drawbacks. Haitani always belittled him and, although he couldn't prove it, sabotaged his attempts to better himself over the years. Though Shirai was more amicable than Haitani towards him, he still seemed to drag him under at times into whatever scheme the pair were concocting. Then he remembered his parents' opinion on his choices and their very rude and forceful ejection of him from the home. All this coupled with the recent events caused him to hang his head, and silently accept defeat. It was this defeated look that Mitsune came upon a little while later.

Quietly, she opened the door to his room, hoping to catch him asleep and rouse him herself. However, upon seeing the look marring his features, Mitsune grew a little concerned, "Keitaro? Are you okay?"

Slowly, he turned to look at her. She had to steel her nerves at seeing the barest glimmers of the completely empty look she had seen not that long ago upon his face. His eyes, glistening with tears that he was trying not to shed, pierced her as he spoke softly, "All my life, I've had the answer to it all. I don't deserve any of this. I don't even deserve to live, Mitsune."

"Don't ever say that Keitaro."

He turned away from her words, tears now beginning to trickle down his face, "Why not? It's the truth, isn't it?"

Keitaro immediately found his vision filled with Mitsunes' face. Those beautiful brown eyes that he had come to expect bore into him, "No, it's not Keitaro. Everyone deserves to live a full life."

He tried to look away from her, but she held his face in place, "Keitaro, you of anyone that I know deserves to have a life filled with happiness. And I will do whatever I can to help you have that life."

He sat there, tears beginning to slide down his face, "You've already done so much…"

"And there is still more to do," Mitsune said, slowly pulling him into a gentle embrace, "I swear that I'll do what I can, Keitaro. I promise."

Hearing these words, Keitaro again fell into her sobbing softly in as many days. She cradled his head, soothing him as best she could. It was an action she was becoming more adept at performing, and that fact was not making her feel any happier about it. A soft sound of footsteps alerted her to someone having come near, and in the corners of her vision she could just barely make out Haruka standing near the doorway, watching quietly. As Keitaro calmed down again, he pulled back rubbing at some of the stray tears still running down his face, "I'm sorry, Mitsune. I've been nothing but a blubbering idiot lately."

She smiled at him, ruffling his hair gently, "Don't be, Keitaro. I don't mind it. Besides, bottling it up inside isn't any better."

Keitaro sniffled lightly, noticing the wet spot on her shirt where he had cried, "Looks like I've ruined another shirt of yours."

"It's alright, Keitaro," her voice came, softly as she made eye contact with him again, "It's a badge of honor among friends."

A throat clearing brought their attention to Haruka standing in the doorway, "I hate to break up the show of friendship, but the two of you have a plane to catch."

Keitaro nodded before standing, and picking up his suitcases as Mitsune went and retrieved her own. He spared a glance around the small room one last time, his gaze finally landing on the small picture book still lying on the desk. A wave of pain rushed through him, causing him to falter for a moment. He steadied himself and shook away the cloud of depression that threatened to consume him once again. Stepping out of the room, he met Haruka and Mitsune in the main room. A gentle nod of his head was the only indication he made that he was ready.

Stepping out into the early morning air, Keitaro felt a light breeze on his skin as it wafted through the trees. His gaze slowly took in the sights around him, committing them to memory for possibly the last time. The sun barely filtering through the trees, he could just make out the silhouette of the Inn at the top of the staircase. A wave of sadness passed through him, wondering briefly if he would return. He let a heavy breath go, turning away to begin towards the train station for the airport.

"Wait!"

Stopping, the trio turned back to see Shinobu running down the stairs towards them. When she had caught up to them, she bent over holding onto her knees as she struggled for air, "Please…don't go…without me…I…wanted to say….goodbye…"

Keitaro, setting a suitcase down, lay a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Shinobu, you should be in bed still. You have class later today."

She looked up at him, a pleading look in her eyes, "Please, Sempai. I wanted to see you off."

Not knowing what to say, Keitaro nodded lightly before responding, "Alright. But you have to promise me to keep up with your school work."

Smiling up at him, she nodded, "I promise, Sempai."

Turning back to the others, he nodded as he picked his suitcase back up and began walking. It took what amounted to little more than ten minutes to reach the station, but it felt like an eternity. The ride on the train seemed to take even longer, each bump and jostle of the cab reminding them that this was no dream. The arrival at the airport was no different, and Keitaro felt a sudden sense of foreboding begin to gnaw at the back of his mind as they were going through baggage check in. He tried to put it out of mind for now, but he still could not shake the feeling even when they all sat down in the terminal to await boarding. It was at the insistence of their growling stomachs that Haruka and Mitsune went to grab breakfast leaving him and Shinobu sitting alone.

Though he saw her fidgeting, he tried to not dwell on it until she spoke, "Sempai?"

Looking over at her, he quirked his eyebrows in silent questioning, "Yes, Shinobu?"

"Um, well," she began, unsure of just how to say what she wanted to. Thinking of a million ways to say it, she sighed, "Can I ask you something?"

He smiled at her, putting his mask firmly in place, "Sure, you can ask me anything."

Even though she knew he didn't mean it, the first thought that came to mind made her blush. Looking away and trying to discreetly hide her reddening cheeks, she smiled lightly, "Anything, Sempai?"

Realizing his blunder and noticing the blush on her cheeks, he cleared his throat and tried to look anywhere but at her, "Well, perhaps not anything."

Shinobu chuckled lightly, though there was no real humor in her laughter. Looking back at him, she steeled her nerves, "Sempai, promise me you'll come back."

Keitaro stopped and looked at the ground. Though he had known deep down that she would ask him something like that, he had prayed that she wouldn't. He just didn't know how to respond to it, and silently wished to the powers that be that an answer or distraction would keep him from answering. After a few tense seconds passed where nothing happened, he bowed his head and spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, "Shinobu, I…I don't know if I…"

She gripped his hand gently, her blue eyes searching to reach his own, "Please, Sempai! I don't want you to stay away forever, but at least to return when you're ready. That's all I want."

Keitaro tried hard not to meet those pleading eyes of hers he knew she gazed at him with. He tried to focus on anything but the young woman next to him that was begging him to return, unknowing if he even would himself. However, all his efforts were in vain, and he found himself looking into those bright pools of blue. Closing his eyes after a few seconds, he sighed, "I promise."

A small, grateful smile spread across her face, "Thank you, Sempai."

Not long after their little talk did Haruka and Mitsune return with a small, but filling breakfast. Time almost seemed to stop for them as they waited for the boarding call for their flight. Small conversation, though about topics such as the weather or whether this star would marry that star, took place but no one really found interesting. It would have been peaceful save for the fact that two of them would be leaving in a few short minutes and be halfway across the world soon. Yet, when the boarding call sounded, Keitaro felt another pang of guilt course through him. Though it was not his first trip abroad, it would most likely be his last. Even in light of the fact that he made a promise to Shinobu, he was unsure if he would have the courage to return to the source of all his current pain.

Standing on uneasy legs, they began to head to the terminal for their plane when Haruka grabbed him by the arm. She nodded to Mitsune and Shinobu, "Go on ahead. We'll catch up in a second."

The two girls nodded in affirmation and walked away from the two. When she was sure they were out of earshot, Haruka looked at Keitaro, "Keitaro, I want you to take care of yourself and Mitsune over there. Alright?"

He looked away from her gaze, a frown forming on his face, "I don't know how well I can do that…"

Gripping his head in her hands, she forced him to look at her, "Don't' ever say you can't do anything Keitaro. That's not the bright, stubborn nephew I know. Don't ever let me catch you saying that again, or Kami help me, I'll kick your stubborn ass to the moon and back. You got that?"

A small, sad smile formed on his face, "All right, Aunt Haruka. I'll try."

She looked at him, and in a rare show of affection, pulled him into a warm hug, "You're my only nephew and I don't want to see you down in the dumps any more."

Slowly, Keitaro returned the embrace, "But what happens if I can't find myself again? What if this is who I am?"

Pulling back to arms length, Haruka fixed him with a hard expression, "I know you can, Keitaro. I know it, Mitsune knows it, and Shinobu knows it. We all believe in you."

Tears began forming in his eyes again, "Thank you again, Aunt Haruka."

Patting his shoulders, she nodded at him, "You never have to thank me. You're family, and we look out for each other."

At his gentle nod, she released her hold on him, "Good. Oh, and one more thing, Keitaro."

He quirked an eyebrow at her, rubbing a tear from his face, "What?"

Reaching up, she firmly but lovingly smacked him across the back of his head, "Don't ever call me Aunt again. I know legally I am, but I'm still your cousin first and foremost. We understand each other?"

He smiled at her, a genuine smile, "Sure thing, Haruka."

Haruka nodded, releasing him and motioning towards the direction of the terminal, "Good, now come on. You have a plane to board."

Leading the way, Keitaro followed Haruka towards the gate. The terminal looming ever nearer, the feeling came rushing back to Keitaro. Again, he tried to shake the feeling, but having no better luck than before. He frowned heavily as he and Haruka caught back up to Mitsune and Shinobu.

Mitsune, noticing the odd look on Keitaros' face, walked closer to him. Gently placing her hand on his shoulder, she looked at him in worry, "Keitaro, you okay?"

Shaken from his thoughts, he looked back at her trying to hide the odd feeling again behind a fake smile, "I'm fine, Mitsune. It's nothing."

Not believing him, she looked at him oddly but didn't push the issue. They turned back to their small group. Shinobu sniffled softly as she prepared to say goodbye, "I'm going to miss you both."

Mitsune leaned over and gave the young girl a hug, "I'm gonna miss you too, hon. Remember to look after the others while we're gone."

She nodded as Mitsune moved to Haruka and extended her hand, "Thank you again, Haruka. You've done more than enough for us. If there is any way we can repay you, just name it."

Haruka, shaking the offered hand, smiled warmly around the toothpick in her mouth in place of a cigarette, "You know I don't call in favors unless necessary, Mitsune. But I know the feeling and I'd do this all again if given the chance. You just take care of him."

She nodded as Keitaro stepped up to say his own goodbyes, "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

Shinobu, no longer able to control herself, rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Keitaro, "Come back soon, Sempai! Remember your promise!"

He placed another fake smile on his face as he patted her back, "Don't worry, Shinobu. I always keep my promises."

Releasing him, Shinobu stepped back as Haruka extended a hand towards him, "Keitaro."

He looked at her, taking the proffered hand, "Haruka, I'll miss you."

Haruka nodded, the stoic face of hers faltering for a brief moment, "Alright now. This isn't goodbye for good. You will be coming back."

Nodding solemnly, Keitaro turned to Mitsune, "I guess its time."

"Yeah," came her uneasy response, taking a step towards the gate, "Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we Sugah?"

He slowly followed her lead, placing one heavy foot in front of the other. Looking back over his shoulder, he waved to the two friends that had helped them this far. He waved until they were no longer in sight and the tunnel towards the train occupied his vision. As they found their seats, Mitsune leaned in close to him, "You want to tell me what that look was about earlier?"

Swallowing hard, he forced his face to remain passive, "I don't know what you're…"

A slender finger stopped him from continuing as Mitsune bore into him with those brown orbs of hers, "You can't fool me, Keitaro. So stop lying."

He debated for a second to just give her another lie, but decided against it, _"She's helped me this far. It wouldn't be right."_

Breathing deeply, he turned his head to look out the window as they buckled in, "I just had this feeling."

Mitsune let her eyes wander to out the window where he was looking. She could vaguely make out the silhouettes of Shinobu and Haruka in the glass window in the distance, "What kind of feeling?"

The blank, depressed look returned, "That this may be the last time that I see any of them."

As the plane lurched forward by the taxi pulling it to the runway, Mitsune had to suppress the urge to say that it very well could be.

* * *

Keitaro chuckled to himself as they disembarked from the plane, "Honestly, Mitsune. It wasn't as bad as you think it was."

The brown haired woman turned and affixed a terrifying glare on her face, "Doesn't matter what you say Keitaro, but I will _never_ get on another plane again!"

As they made it to customs, Keitaro couldn't help but let a small chuckle out. Mitsunes' glare intensified as she glared at him, "And what is so funny, huh?"

Keitaro waved his hands defensively, "Nothing. Nothing at all! I just think you're over reacting a little that's all."

"Over reacting am I," She said, her voice dipping dangerously low as she put her hands on her hips, "Let me remind you that you were strapped safe and secure in a seat, where I wasn't."

He tried to hide his grin as best he could, but failed in the end, "I told you not to have so many drinks."

As the line began to shorten, she huffed and turned away from him, "I wasn't the one that forgot to mention what turbulence was like."

Keitaro scratched the back of his head, "My first flight with Seta was much worse. We had to actually secure a couple items that had gotten loose and started bouncing around the cabin…"

"No," Mitsune said, raising a hand to halt his retelling, "Don't say another word."

Chuckling to himself, Keitaro nodded, "All right, I won't say another word."

Proceeding up to the nearest available window, they made their way through customs and security, which proved to be a challenge on its own. Keitaro began getting nervous due to the enormous man in uniform standing there with the security sensor, starting fidgeting a little ultimately making him stand out. This in turn got the attention of the security guard, who asked him to step out of line for a few moments. He began stuttering and sweating due to the attention he was receiving. If it hadn't have been for Mitsune jumping in at the last moment, he was sure that the guard would have most likely used him as his own personal tazer test dummy.

Breathing a sigh of relief as he walked through and collected his items on the other side, Keitaro gave Mitsune a grateful look, "Thanks for the save, Mitsune."

She grinned at him devilishly, "You know I could have let you get detained."

He swallowed hard, "Y-you wouldn't have done that? W-would you?"

Mitsune laughed deeply as she turned and began heading towards baggage claim, leaving Keitaro to catch up as he pleaded with her to answer him. Their bags appeared just as she was finishing allaying his fears, "Relax, Hon. I wouldn't do that to ya."

His shoulders slumped in relief as his own bags appeared, "Oh that means a lot to me."

She laughed lightly as she pulled her bags from the turnstile, "Now that that's out of the way, let's see if we can find Haruka's friend."

Nodding at her, the two made their way to the arrival station. Looking around, Mitsune didn't immediately see their mysterious benefactor. Keitaro stood on tip toes, looking over the crowd, "I think it would help if I knew what he looked like."

"I do," Mitsune said, scanning the crowd, "Long brown hair, and about a little taller than you."

After a few more seconds, Keitaro settled back down on his heels as he hung his head, "It's no use. I can't see anything from here."

"You're giving up too easy," Mitsune replied back, standing on a chair to get a better view, "You need to be persistent."

He looked around, noticing several people now beginning to look her way as she continued to look around, "Mitsune, could you get down please. You're starting to make a…"

She suddenly jabbed a finger in one direction, shouting as she did so, "There he is!"

"…scene." Keitaro finished, looking the way she pointed. Sure enough there was a young man standing their, looking in their direction. Mitsune hopped back down and tugged on his arm, "Come on, Keitaro."

Having no other option but to follow behind her, he walked behind her as they made their way to their contact. When they were close enough, Keitaro began to extend a hand and trying to remember what little English he knew, "It is…very nice…to meet you."

The man smiled as he returned the handshake before responding in very smooth Japanese, "Please, no need to stand on ceremony. You must be Urashima Keitaro. My name is Nick Andrews."

Taken aback by his knowledge, Keitaro meekly returned the hand shake, "Of course. It's nice to meet you and very kind of you to allow us to stay with you."

He shook his head, smiling, "Its no problem. If Haruka called in the favor, there isn't anything I won't do to help."

Nick then turned to face Mitsune, extending his hand in greeting again, "And you must be Konno Mitsune, unless I miss my guess."

Smiling warmly at him, Mitsune shook his hand, "The one and only, Sugah. Haruka must have told you we were coming as soon as we boarded."

Nick chuckled, "She did, in fact. Now I know that was one hell of a long flight, so if you two will follow me, I'll take you to my humble abode."

It took another ten minutes to walk out to Nicks' car, and the both of them were greeted with a sight that made them wonder if Setas' van was more road worthy than this one. The black paint was peeling in places, and looked as if it could stand a washing. Nick shifted a little as he opened the passenger door, "I know she aint' much to look at, but she'll get us where we're going."

Keitaro looked at Mitsune cautiously, before giving Nick a side long glance, "Have you ever heard of a guy named Seta?"

"You know Seta too," Nick said with a look of near disbelief as he moved around to put their collective luggage in the back of the van, "Geez, how'd you run into that maniac?"

Mitsune almost seemed to take a step behind Keitaro while looking at Nick in expectation, "Yeah, we've met him."

Nick looked at them for a second, then realization clicked and he began to laugh, "I assure you I drive a lot safer than he does. I never understood what his deal was with putting the pedal to the metal and praying for the best."

Mitsune leaned over and whispered in Keitaro's ear, "Should we trust him on that?"

A look of dread passed over Keitaro's face, "Do we have a choice?"

She grimaced, "Good point. Well come on then."

Leading the way, she jumped in and found the seat belt in the middle of the seat and securely fastened it, "Come on Keitaro. I want to rest in a comfy bed soon!"

Still wary of the potential death trap that was the van, Keitaro made his way to the seat remaining on the passenger side and closed the door. Safely buckled, or so he presumed, he waited for Nick to jump in. A few seconds later, the back door closed and Nick appeared in the driver's side, "Now that we're all safe and secure, let's get you somewhere you can rest easy."

The ride was quite for the next twenty minutes, the only sound entering into the dead air of the cab was the sound of traffic on the highway around them. After a moment, Nick broke the silence, "Geez, you two are a quiet pair."

Keitaro looked down and out the window, "Sorry."

"No, I didn't mean…" Nick said, hearing the dejectedness in Keitaro's voice, "Hell, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to come off as hostile there."

"It's okay," Mitsune said, trying to bring the attention away from Keitaro, "It's just been a long flight and we're kind a tired."

Nick looked at her from the corner of his eye for a brief second, "Ah. I see."

Mitsune nodded to him as silence returned again. It was another few minutes before Mitsune noticed that Keitaro had fallen asleep leaning against the window. Cautiously, she looked at the man named Nick next to her. Her curiosity was piqued, and she found herself wanting to know a little more, not just about him, but about Haruka and Nobu as well. However, there was no real way to start the conversation off without being blunt, causing her to become a little frustrated by the situation. She sat silently contemplating the man next to her for a few more minutes that had, at the behest of Haruka, gone out of his way to help them out. She looked at Nick, "It's rather nice of ya to put us up for awhile."

"It's no problem, really," He said, flashing a friendly smile towards her, "A friend of Haruka's is a friend mine. Believe me on that one. That woman is hard enough to come near as it is."

"That's another thing I don't understand," Mitsune stated, hoping to get some kind of answer on the mysterious connections that Haruka had made in her lifetime, "How did Haruka meet up with you and Nobu? She didn't say much on the subject."

Nick chuckled quietly, "Not surprised by that. She tends to play things close to her shirt."

Mitsune continued on, "It just seems odd that she would know two completely unrelated people that would appear to have nothing at all to do with her."

He spared a nod in her direction, "You'd be right on that note. We don't have a whole lot to do with Haruka. It was more like Seta that kind of formed our little band of misfits."

Quirking an eyebrow, Mitsune looked at him a little closer, "And yet again, it just seems peculiar. Care to shed a little light on the mystery?

Nick laughed a little, shifting in the seat a little as he did so, "It's a long story, but I'll do what I can to give you the short of it."

Focusing on the road, Nick's smile became just a little broader, "Seta, by the time I met the man, had already met Haruka and Nobu and the three of them had came abroad working on some hair brained project of his. Something about a lost turtle civilization or something or other. Still not sure about that, but to each his own."

"At the time I was just a kid on the street trying to find a place to fit into," he said, the smile fading ever so slightly at the retelling, "He asked me if I needed a job and I jumped on board. It was a little while after that that we ran into this really beautiful woman, a woman by the name of Cynthia McDougal, who had her own run of trouble. We all just kind of fell in with Seta and his wild ideas. Before we knew it, we were running around the globe, looking for this ancient text or that primitive culture."

When he went quiet, Mitsune looked at him expectantly, "So what made you all go your separate ways?"

Nick frowned lightly, and Mitsune knew immediately that she had hit a nerve, "It got too…painful."

Mitsune tore her gaze away from him, "I'm sorry."

He sighed, "Not nearly as sorry as I am."

Silence descended upon the vans occupants for the remainder of the trip until the sights and sounds of the city faded away as the country became more and more pronounced. Exiting the highway, Nick navigated several back roads as only a native would know before pulling onto an old gravel and dirt paved road. Off a little ways from the gate, just barely visible above the trees, was a beautiful home. Mitsune gently woke Keitaro, "Hey, wake up."

Sputtering and jumping a little, Keitaro opened his eyes, "Wha…What's going on?"

"We're almost there," Nick said, smiling at the familiar sight of home coming finally into view. It was a modest two story home, almost reminding Mitsune of those old films she'd seen years ago of a plantation home in the southern United States. The siding was an off-white wood paneling, topped by a black shingled roof. As the van pulled to a stop, Mitsune could feel a little old world charm in the place as she exited the van behind Keitaro.

"Welcome, one and all," Nick said, spreading his arms wide to encompass the home, "to my humble and hospitable abode."

Mitsune took in a deep breath at the sight, "Oh, its beautiful!"

"Thank you," Nick said, beginning to head towards the front door, "Now if you'll follow right this way, ladies and gentlemen, we shall begin our tour of this fine establishment."

Following behind him, Keitaro and Mitsune made their way inside. Inside, the front hallway with a staircase that led back to an expansive living room. Nick stopped, pointing back at a room off to the left of the main room, "The kitchen is over there, and there to your right is the hallway leading to the bathroom, a spare room and the master bedroom. Your rooms will be on the second story."

Leading them up the staircase, he showed them each to a bedroom on opposite ends of the hall. They stood in the second bedroom, which Mitsune had claimed as her own, as Nick was finishing the tour, "There's another room up here and a bathroom attached to each room in case you need it. Other than that, there is an old barn off in the field, but not much else."

Keitaro nods in thanks, "You have a nice house."

Nick shrugged his shoulders at the compliment, "Ah, come on, it's a mess I know. Can't keep my buddies from making a royal mess of things when their over."

Sitting on the bed, Mitsune cocked an eyebrow at Nick, "And when will we meet these friends of yours?"

He chuckled, "Never if I have any say in it."

"Oh come on now, Sugah," Mitsune said with a mock pleading tone in her voice, "You would be ruining what little fun we might have!"

A laugh tore itself from Nicks' throat, "I'm sure they'd love you, wouldn't they, Keitaro?"

When no answer was forth coming, the two of them looked at the silent Keitaro as he looked gloomily out the window. Mitsune stood and put a calm hand on his shoulder, "Keitaro?"

As if shocked by her touch, Keitaro looked at her and tried to hide whatever emotion had been playing in his mind, "Huh, what?"

Mitsune looked at him, a worried look forming on her features, "Keitaro, you okay?"

He waved her off, rubbing at his eyes a little, "Yeah, I just must still be tired."

Nick motioned to the room Keitaro had commandeered, "Why don't you go sleep it off. Jet lag is one hell of a bitch."

Nodding in thanks, Keitaro slowly exited the room towards his own. As soon as the sound of a door closing at the opposite end was heard, Nick shook his head, "Now I see what she meant."

Mitsune focused on Nick, "What did who mean?"

"Haruka," Nick said, leaning against the door frame. He pulled out a cigarette from his jacket pocket, placing it gingerly between his lips. Lighting it and taking a slow drag off it, he frowned, "She called me a few days ago with the favor of putting you guys up. Told me that the situation was life altering. From that look on his face, she barely scratched the surface it seems."

Leaning against the window sill, Mitsune nodded, "It just doesn't seem fair."

"It's not," Nick said, blowing a thick cloud of smoke out, "Though it never is. That look though…"

He trailed off, letting the remainder of his statement fall away as he bowed his head with a somber expression dancing across his face. Mitsune watched him for a second, trying to make heads or tails of him. She licked her lips, trying to find words for her thoughts, "Nick?"

He looked over at her briefly, "Yeah?"

"What about that look?"

Nick looked away again, and then pushed off the door frame, "Just looked familiar. I've seen it before. I'd rather forget it."

The brown haired girl sat there, watching him as he headed for the top of the stair case. She tried to get some bearing on him, but he was just too hard to read. He spoke, looking back over his shoulder, "I'm going to get your things from the van. I'll be back in a little while."

With that comment, he disappeared back downstairs. Vaguely she heard the front door open and close, but it was a long time before he returned back inside. Sitting there at the window, Mitsune wondered just what this man could do that she, Haruka and Shinobu couldn't have done. As night slowly crept up on them, Mitsunes' thoughts turned to the man down the hall and just what the future would hold for not only him, but her as well.

"_Whatever it is,"_ she thought, gazing out at the rising moon in the distance, _"I just hope it happens soon."_

Taking one last look down the hallway, Mitsune slowly closed the doors and turned out her light for bed. As she drifted to sleep, she thought vaguely on the man named Nick, and his own role to play in things. She yawned, as sleep began to take her, _"What is he hiding and how will it help Keitaro?"_


End file.
